Bus accident in eastern India kills at least 5 pilgrims

NEW DELHI — A bus carrying Hindu pilgrims collided with a transport truck in eastern India when the bus driver fell asleep, killing at least five people and injuring about two dozen, authorities said

Some of the injured admitted to local hospitals early Tuesday are in critical condition, government official Naman Priyesh Lakra said.

The bus driver dozed off while driving the pilgrims, who were returning from the popular temple town of Deoghar, about 268 kilometers (167 miles) from the state capital Ranchi, Lakra said.

Nishikant Dubey, a Jharkhand state lawmaker in the lower house of parliament, said in a social media post that 18 people died in the accident without disclosing the source of the information. He was not immediately available for a comment.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to families of the victims and a wish for a fast recovery by the injured in a social media post.

Deoghar is a major site for Hindu devotees in Jharkhand state and home to one of India’s 12 shrines to Shiva, a powerful Hindu god. The town attracts tens of thousands of visitors daily during the holy month of Shravan, which is dedicated to Shiva and normally falls between July and August.