11 dead as SUV hits an empty bus in MP's Betul; PM Modi announces ex-gratia

Bhopal, Nov 04: Eleven people lost their lives after the SUV they were travelling in collided with an empty moving bus in Madhya Pradesh's Betul district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced ex-gratia to the next of kin of the deceased.

The incident happened when the bus and the SUV collided near Jhallar Police Station, said Simala Prasad, superintendent of police of Betul district, according to an ANI report.

The SP said that the accident happened around 2 am when an empty bus was moving on the road and the SUV, which was coming from the Amravati district, collided head-on with the bus.

In the collision, the 11 people, including the driver of the SUV, died on the spot.

"The Tavera smashed into the bus in the collision. All the persons who died were labourers who had been working at Kalamta village in Amaravati district for the last 20 days. They left from Amaravati at around 9 pm on Thursday and met with an accident here," ANI quoted the SP as saying.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed pain on the accident and announced that ex-gratia 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. Rs. 50,000 would be given to the injured.