At least 10 people were killed and 24 others injured after a bus carrying them crashed into a stationary dumper truck in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, police said Sunday.

The accident took place late Saturday night in the Nadan Dehat police station area in Maihar district, about 490 km northeast of Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh.

“Late last night a sleeper coach bus carrying passengers crashed into a stationary stone-laden dumper truck on the national highway in the Nadan Dehat police station area, killing 10 people and injuring 24 others,” a senior police official said.

“Five people died on the spot while 29 others were rushed to Satna hospital. Later on, five more succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment at the hospital. Two passengers were in critical condition.”

According to the police, rescuers used earthmover and steel cutters to rescue passengers trapped inside the mangled bus.

The police have ordered an investigation to ascertain the cause of the crash. Th
e ill-fated bus coming from Uttar Pradesh was destined for Nagpur in Maharashtra.

Deadly road accidents are common in India, often caused by overloading, bad road conditions and reckless driving.

Around 150,000 people are killed every year in about 500,000 road accidents across India, officials said.

Source: The Namibia News Agency