Death toll in Rajsamand accident goes up to 86

Jaipur, Sep 8 (UNI) The death toll in Rajasthan's worst road accident in Rajsamand district has gone up to 86 with the death of a woman in Udaipur hospital.

Superintendent of Maharana Bhupal Rajkiya hospital S K Kaushik said ten of the injured, with equal number of men and women, were admitted to the hospital. A 40-year-old woman died this morning while two other pilgrims were in critical condition.

According to Rajsamand Collector Anand Kumar and SP Rupinder Singh out of the 86 dead, 39 were men and the rest women.

Meanwhile, the bodies of 86 pilgrims, who were killed when an overcrowded truck plunged into a gorge in Rajsamand district yesterday, have been handed over to their relatives.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje reached Rajsamand today by a helicopter and inspected the accident site at Desurighata and also visited the Rajsamand hospital where 61 injured pilgrims had been admitted. She announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 50,000 as compensation to the kin of those killed.

Ms Raje also visited the villages of Simal and Madri and met the relatives of injured providing them consolation and promising compensation and relief. At least 29 villagers of these two villages were killed in the accident.

Most of the pilgrims, who were heading for the annual Ram Devra fair, belonged to Bhava, Madri, Sindhuskarla and Simal. A gloom has settled over these villages and cries rendered the air when the dead bodies arrived there.

The injured were admitted to Udaipur, Pali, Desuri hospitals.

Meanwhile, questions are being raised as to how such an overcrowded truck carrying over 200 pilgrims were allowed to go on such a long journey.

Governor Shalendra Kumar Singh has also offered his condolences to the kin of the dead.

UNI