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New Delhi, Nov 9 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday (November 10) will hear the suo motu case related to the tragic Phalodi road accident in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district, in which at least 18 pilgrims, including four children and 10 women, lost their lives after a tempo traveler collided with a stationary trailer truck near Matora village last week.
According to the cause list uploaded on the apex court website, a bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi will hear the case titled “In Re: Phalodi Accident”.
The accident occurred when a group of pilgrims from Sursagar area of Jodhpur were returning from Kolayat in Bikaner.
The collision was so severe that the front part of the tempo traveler was completely crushed, due to which the rescue team had to struggle for hours to rescue the trapped passengers.
According to the police, at least 18 people have been confirmed dead so far, while many others have been seriously injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had described the incident as “deeply tragic”, announcing an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma expressed grief over the deaths and directed officials to ensure prompt medical aid to the injured. The state government has announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for each bereaved family, while those who lost three or more members will get Rs 25 lakh.
The Chief Minister’s Office said those seriously injured would get Rs 2 lakh and those with minor injuries would get Rs 1 lakh.
This tragedy has once again raised concerns about road safety on the Bharatmala Expressway. Locals allege that inadequate lighting, lack of signage and illegal parking of heavy vehicles make night travel dangerous. Residents claim that truck drivers often park on the side of the expressway to rest, often leading to fatal accidents.
–IANS
PDS/VD