Fourteen people were killed and three others grievously injured when a loading truck hit an open mini bus carrying 17 pilgrims near Valthera Patiya village of Ahmedabad district.
The accident took place late on Friday night when the bus, carrying pilgrims from Sokhda village in Rajkot district, collided head-on with a speeding truck, the police said.
'The victims were all coming from Pavagadh, a pilgrimage site in Panchmahals district of Gujarat, and were on their way back home at Sokhda in Rajkot district when the accident took place. The driver of the truck escaped with his vehicle. We are looking for the truck," an official of Koth Police Station in Dholka taluka said.
The incident took place on the Dholka-Bagodara Highway, killing the 14 people on the spot, while three others who were injured have been rushed to Ahmedabad civil hospital.
The deceased were identified as Jagdish Vanaliya (32), Sagar Jingariya (19), Damji Sarvaiya (35), Dilip Jingariya (28), Mehul Jingariya (19), Jayesh Jingariya (25), Ramesh Jingariya (17), Lalo Jingariya (17), Ramesh Sarvaiya (35), Jaydeep Jingariya (44), Sanjay Rathod (23), Jitesh Jingariya (20), Rashik Methani (23) and Shiva Jingariya (40).
Sokhda town observed bandh on Saturday as a mark of respect to the departed souls.
