Five killed as truck hits autorickshaw in Bihar's Araria

PATNA: At least five people, including three women and a minor boy, died and six others were injured when an autorickshaw they were travelling in was hit by a speeding truck on Araria-Purnia road under the Town police station area in Araria district on Monday.
The injured were rushed to the local sadar hospital for treatment. Four of the seriously injured people were later referred to government hospitals at Purnia and Bhagalpur.
The accident occurred when the victims were returning home at Rampur in an autorickshaw after attending a function at their relative’s house at Mahendrapur in Purnia district.
The injured told the police that 11 people were travelling by the autorickshaw. A truck running at a high speed hit the vehicle from behind. The driver of the truck, however, managed to flee.
Araria sadar SDPO Pushkar Kumar said the accident took place around 8.30am near a petrol outlet adjacent to Kushiar Rampur Kodarkatti village.
The deceased were identified as Susheela Devi (55), Nunu Lal Rishidev (50), Mahawati Devi (50), Meenaxi Kumari (05) and Gaurav (03). While three of the victims were from Araria, two others hailed from Purnia.
The injured people were identified as Suman Devi, Raj Kumari, Dipak Kumar Rishi, Phul Kumari, Sushil Rishidev and Mithun Rishidev.
Sub-divisional officer Shailendra Chandra Diwakar later announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of the kin of the victim. Diwakar said the bodies were handed over to the respective families after postmortem at Katihar sadar hospital.