AHMEDABAD: Nine people including police personnel were killed and ten others were injured after a speeding car crashed into a throng gathered at an accident site on a bridge in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city on Wednesday midnight.
According to police, the accident occurred about 1 a.m. at the ISKCON bridge on the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar highway in the city's satellite area when a Jaguar car travelling at high speed smashed into a throng gathered there.
According to locals, the car that caused the collision was driven by a boy, accompanied by another adolescent, and a girl who were also hurt in the accident, Following this occurrence, some individuals on the scene attempted to beat the people who caused the accident; they were rescued by others and sent to a private hospital for treatment. Two injured people have been transferred to Asarwa Civil Hospital for additional treatment. Mijan Sheikh and Naran Gurjar are their names.
A young man named Qureshi Altamas from the Daryapur region of Ahmedabad, who observed the catastrophic accident on the ISKCON Bridge and was injured in the tragedy, told the local media that “There was an accident between a Thar car and a dumper on the ISKCON Bridge. Meanwhile, a car approached at a great speed and hit the individuals who were standing there to watch the accident, which I and our companions were witnessing.”
“In which some individuals were injured and others perished. The impact was so severe that I passed out on the spot. When I regained consciousness, I was in the hospital," he added.
"At around 1 a.m., a Thar (SUV) collided with a truck at ISKCON Bridge on SG Highway," said Satellite police station inspector K Y Vyas.
“Following notification of the collision, local traffic officers and a Home Guard jawan arrived on the scene to manage traffic and the situation," Vyas said.
"Several bystanders gathered at the scene out of curiosity to see what had happened. A speeding Jaguar car rammed into the crowd while they were on the bridge, killing five people on the spot and four more during treatment," Vyas added.
According to Neeta Desai, Deputy Commissioner of Police, an FIR has been filed in this matter.
The tragedy killed nine people and injured around 10 people. It does not appear that the driver was intoxicated. However, our preliminary examination found that the Jaguar car was travelling at an exceptionally high pace. "The (car driver) Tathya Patel is being treated currently, we will arrest him as soon as doctors give the nod," Desai said.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced compensation for the families of those who died and were injured in the Ahmedabad traffic accident.
"The accident that occurred last night at the ISKCON Bridge in Ahmedabad is heartbreaking. Please accept my heartfelt condolences. The state government has given 4 lakhs to each of the deceased families and 50,000 to the injured," CM tweeted.