Hazaribag/Ranchi, Nov 9: A truck rammed into a pick-up van carrying a body and mourners to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to perform the last rites, killing seven people and injuring 12 others in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district on Monday, police said.
According to police, the vehicle had made a pit stop at Mahanetand near Danua valley around 10.30 am when a truck hit it from behind, killing five people on the spot, while two died in a hospital.
The pick-up van carrying 19 people overturned under the impact of the collision, throwing several passengers onto the road, Chouparan police station in-charge Pankaj Kumar said.
The injured people have been admitted to hospitals in Hazaribag and Barhi, and three of them were in a critical state, he said.
The deceased were identified as Dhokla Kumar (45), Budhni Devi (50), Ramkisun Mahto (50), Rameshwar Kumar (70), and Raju Pandit (40). Two other victims, Savitri Devi and Rubia Devi, succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment, and their ages were not immediately known.
Dr Ashutosh Jha, who treated the injured at Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital in Hazaribag, said one critically injured person was referred to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.
The truck driver fled soon after the incident, and a search was underway to arrest him, Kumar said.
Senior BJP leader Arjun Munda expressed shock at the accident.
"It is extremely unfortunate that a family travelling to Varanasi to attend the funeral of a person fell victim to this tragic accident," the former chief minister said in a statement.
