Manali-Jaipur bus hits truck in Mahendragarh; driver, conductor killed, 16 hurt
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
A bus carrying approximately 40 tourists from Manali to Jaipur rammed into a roadside truck loaded with iron angles on National Highway 152-D near the Buchawas cut in Mahendragarh district, Haryana, at around 5 am on Friday, 13 June 2025. The collision killed the bus driver and conductor on the spot and left at least 16 passengers injured, with 11 reported to be in serious condition.
How the Crash Unfolded
According to preliminary reports, the bus was on its return leg to Jaipur when it struck a truck that was parked on the roadside. The impact was catastrophic: iron angles being transported by the truck pierced through the front section of the bus, completely destroying the driver's cabin. Several passengers were thrown toward the front of the vehicle by the force of the collision.
Police suspect the bus driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel before the crash, though the exact cause remains under investigation. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning, a window when driver fatigue is statistically most acute on long overnight routes.
Victims Identified
The driver, Somveer (30), a resident of Vijayanagar, Jaipur, and the conductor, Dilkhush (31), were both pronounced dead at the scene. Among the 16 injured passengers, those identified include Nalin Jain (40), Prateek (28), Surendra (49), Subhash Chandra (38), Ashish (44), Yashasvi (29), Wasim Akhtar (46), Abhimanyu (38), Ashutosh (27), Avinash (24), Gaurav (25), Priyanka (28), and Prachi (25) — all from Jaipur. Others injured include Sohan (30) from Chandigarh, Rohit (30) from Dausa, Rajasthan, and Khushi (18) from Paonta. Most passengers on board were residents of Jaipur and other parts of Rajasthan.
Rescue and Medical Response
Eyewitnesses reported that panic spread immediately after the crash. Local residents and police personnel reached the scene swiftly, pulling trapped tourists out through the bus windows. All injured passengers were shifted to the Civil Hospital in Mahendragarh for treatment. Several have been admitted to the Critical Care Unit, with at least 11 in serious condition.
Investigation Under Way
Haryana Police have registered a case and launched a full investigation into the accident. Authorities are examining all possible causes, including driver fatigue, road conditions, and the legality of parking a loaded truck on the highway shoulder. This comes amid recurring concerns about the safety of overnight tourist buses on long-haul Himalayan return routes, where fatigue-related accidents have been reported multiple times in recent years.
The outcome of the probe and the condition of critically injured passengers will be closely watched in the days ahead.