Gujarat: In an unfortunate incident, a private luxury bus carrying over 40 pilgrims hit a rock on the roadside near the temple town of Ambaji in the Banaskantha district of Gujarat. Police informed that all 46 pilgrims were injured in the incident that took place on Sunday while the bus was moving down a slope.
Dhaval Patel, a local police inspector said that eighteen of the passengers were shifted to a civil hospital in district headquarters Palanpur. The remaining were being treated at a government hospital in Ambaji town.
The victims were returning on the bus after offering prayers at the shrine located in the Arasur hills. “A private luxury bus carrying 46 pilgrims from Kanjari village in Kheda district met with an accident after the driver lost control of the vehicle on a hilly slope. The bus hit a rock flanking the road on the wayside, after which its roof got ripped off,” the police official said.
The bus was moving down the slope when the accident occurred, he said. The temple town has witnessed a large influx of devotees on the occasion of Bhadarvi Poonam festival, which is being celebrated from September 23-29.
The festival is held every year at Ambaji, and the fair attracts over 15 lakh pilgrims from across Gujarat and outside during this period, with the administration making special arrangements for them.
(with inputs from PTI)
