Five Nepal nationals, who were returning from Prayagraj after attending the Maha Kumbh, died as a car they were in hit a divider and overturned in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district on Saturday. The incident took place on the Madhubani four-lane bypass when the speeding SUV tried to avoid crashing into a biker performing stunts.
The impact of the car hitting the divider was so severe that the Scorpio SUV flipped over five times.
Visuals of the incident show the car completely crushed and the windows shattered. As the car flipped, one of its tyres broke and entered the vehicle. Several blood stains can also be seen on the SUV.
There were nine people in the car – out of which five died on the spot and four others have been critically injured, officials said. The victims have been identified as Archana Thakur, Indu Devi, Mantarni Devi, Bal Krishna Jha, and the driver. The injured are Manohar Thakur, Srishti Thakur, Kamni Jha, and Devtaran Devi.
All of them are from Nepal, officials added.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with distressing screams echoing from the crash site. According to them, some men were performing students on a bike on the four-lane. The car, which was speeding, could have hit one of the bikers. However, to avoid it, the driver turned the wheel and hit the divider.
As the car flipped, the bikers fled the scene.
Police said that the airbags of the vehicle did not open, causing further damage to the victims and the car.
“Five persons lost their lives on the spot while we have rescued four others from the vehicle. Locals helped in removing the injured from the car and sent them to a nearby hospital. They have been taken to Shri Krishna Memorial Medical College (SKMCH) for treatment. Their condition is reported to be critical. We have informed the Nepalese authority about the accident. We are also trying to contact the family members of the victims,” a senior official said.
