A devastating accident on National Highway 53 near Uva village in Surat district claimed at least seven lives and left around 40 people injured on Tuesday. The collision involved two Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses, one of which caught fire after the impact.
According to Surat District Superintendent of Police Rajesh Ghadhiya, one bus was traveling from Surat to Dhule, while the other was heading from Chalisgaon in Maharashtra to Surat. The bus heading towards Maharashtra first struck a tractor, lost balance, jumped the divider, and collided head-on with the oncoming bus. The impact caused the second bus to overturn and land in a low-lying area beside the road, after which it caught fire.
Emergency teams from the police department, fire brigade, and officials from Surat and neighboring Tapi district rushed to the spot. Rescue and search operations were launched immediately. Ghadhiya stated, 'We rescued several passengers trapped inside the bus and shifted the injured to Bardoli hospital. Around 40 passengers traveling in both buses were injured, while seven people lost their lives. All the deceased were traveling in the bus that caught fire.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. In a post on X, he said, 'Rescue operations are underway, and authorities are providing all possible assistance at the accident site.'
The Prime Minister also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), and Rs 50,000 will be given to the injured.
