24 killed as truck, with labourers on-board, overturns in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: Twenty-four people, including eight children, were killed and 15 others injured on Thursday when their truck overturned on the Sanand-Viramgam Highway in Ahmedabad district of Gujarat.

The mishap took place at  5:30 am in the Viramgm Taluka area when the vehicle, laden with salt sacks, skidded off the road which was slippery due to overnight rains, police said.

Most of the victims were labourers travelling on the truck, they said, adding six out of the 15 injured persons were admitted to VS Hospital in the city and others at Sanand hospital. 

The police have described negligence of the driver as the cause of the accident, adding that the driver has fled away. 

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. one lakh for the kin of those killed and Rs. 50,000 for those injured.