Four of a family — a talati, her two-year-old son and her parents — were among five killed after their car suffered a tire burst and collided with a luxury mini bus on National Highway 27 on the outskirts of Morbi town Sunday evening. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and declared Rs 5 lakh ex gratia to the kin of the victims.
Police said the incident took place around 4 pm at Amarnagar, a village around nine kilometers north of Morbi town on the NH 27. The victims were identified as Jigna Jobanputra (39), a talati-cum-mantri (revenue clerk) with the state government, her son Riyansh (2), her father Mahendra Raveshiya (65) and mother Sudha Raveshiya (63). The fifth victim was identified as Jadavji Bhudiya (43), a resident of Madhapar village in Kutch.
Police said the talati and her parents were residents of Morbi town and that Mahendra Raveshiya was an advocate by profession. Raveshiya’s husband Jigar who was driving the car was injured in the accident and has been admitted to a hospital in Morbi.
“The family were returning to their home in Morbi after attending a marriage ceremony in Kutch when one of the tires of their car burst and the driver lost control of the vehicle. The car jumped the road divider and crashed into a tempo traveler coming from the opposite direction,” VL Patel, police inspector of Morbi taluka, told The Indian Express,
NH 27 connects Morbi with Kutch district. Police said the Raveshiyas and Jobanputras were on their way back from Katariya village in Bhachau taluka of Kutch after attending a wedding ceremony.
The police inspector said that around 13 passengers were traveling on the luxury mini-bus. “The passengers suffered minor injuries. But besides the five who succumbed, Jigar is the only person who suffered serious injuries and has been hospitalised,” added Patel.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Panchayat, Brijesh Merja members hastened to the hospital in Morbi where those injured in the accident were admitted and met the family of the victim and instructed the hospital administration to provide the best treatment.
CM Bhupendra Patel also expressed sorrow over the fatal crash. “Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has termed the road accident near Amarnagar on Morbi-Maliya Highway on Sunday evening as a painful event and has offered his condolences to those citizens killed. The Chief Minister has declared to pay Rs 4 lakh exgratia from Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the next of kin of the five unfortunate people who were killed in the accident and Rs 50,000 assistance to each of those injured,” an official release from the state government said.
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