GADCHIROLI: Four minor boys were killed and two others suffered injuries after a truck knocked them down in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district on Thursday morning, police said.
The accident took place on Armori-Gadchiroli highway at around 5 am, they said.
As per preliminary information, the six minors, in the age group of 12 to 16 years, were sitting on a roadside in Katli village, located 12 km from the district headquarters, when a truck hit them, a senior police official said.
Four of them died and two others suffered injuries, he said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he was extremely pained by the unfortunate and tragic accident.
"I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. We stand with them in this tough moment of grief and loss," he said in a post on X.
The two injured youth were receiving medical treatment at the Gadchiroli General Hospital, the CM said.
"Chopper arrangements are made to airlift them to Nagpur," he said.
"An ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh will be provided to the families of the deceased, and the State Government will bear all the expenses towards the medical treatment for the injured," Fadnavis said.