Vaishali accident: Probe finds accused truck driver was drunk

Nov 21, 2022

Vaishali (Bihar) [India], November 21 : The ongoing investigation into the accident in Bihar's Vaishali district, which left eight persons dead, has revealed accused truck driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.
According to Vaishali SP Manish, the reports of blood and breath-analyzer tests have confirmed that the driver had been consuming liquor.
The police had earlier reported that the post-mortem on all the eight victims had been conducted and the treatment of the four injured victims was underway.
"The truck has been impounded and the accused driver is receiving treatment. He will be arrested. We will probe if the truck suffered any mechanical failure," a senior police officer said.
On Sunday, at least seven children were reported to have been killed after a truck rammed into a roadside settlement in the Mehnar area of Vaishali.
The toll rose to eight on Monday.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident and announced an ex-gratia for the next kin of the deceased.
President Droupadi Murmu also expressed her condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in the raccident.
"The news of several casualties, including children, in a road accident in Vaishali, Bihar is extremely painful. I express my deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in this accident and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," tweeted Rashtrapati Bhavan in Hindi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the loss of lives in the accident. He sanctioned ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakhs each for the next of kin of persons who lost their lives and Rs 50,000 to the injured from PMNRF (Prime Minister's National Relief Fund).
"The accident in Vaishali, Bihar is saddening. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," read a post on the official Twitter handle of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO)