19 dead as truck turns turtle in Gujarat

A truck carrying bags of cement and labourers overturned early on Saturday morning near Bavaliyari village on the Bhavnagar-Ahmedabad highway, killing 19 people, including 12 women and three children. Six others were injured.

The labourers were residents of Sartanpar village in Talaja taluka. "Investigation revealed that the truck driver fell asleep, while the vehicle was speeding and it veered off the road into a canal," said RV Asari, superintendent police of Ahmedabad District. The truck was overloaded, say police, which caused it to overturn.

Eighteen people died on the spot, while one succumbed to injuries. A night patrol reached the spot and pulled out two people stuck under the truck. The driver, Madhabhai Ratika, tried to flee, but was nabbed by police as tried to go to his home in Rajula.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs4 lakh to the next of kin of all the deceased, and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

"It was a case of pure negligence on part of the driver as the entire stretch of road is straight and there was no other vehicle," said SM Jadeja, sub-inspector of Dholera Police station. "The passengers sitting on the bags of cement were crushed."