PATNA: At least eight people, including seven policemen, were killed when a prison van in which they were travelling collided with a truck in Bihar early Saturday morning.
The accident occurred on the National Highway 77 near Ghighat village in Sitamarhi district. Eight policemen were grievously injured and were battling for their lives at the local government hospital.
Police said the cops were on a prison van transporting two dreaded Maoists who were being shifted to another jail when the accident occurred. A total of 15 policemen were escorting the Maoists.
“The cops were escorting two dreaded Maoist rebels who were being shifted from Bhagalpur central prison to Sitmarhi jail when the mishap took place, killing seven policemen. One Maoist was also killed in the incident,” a local police official Shiv Narayan Ram told the media today.
Both the rebels had been arrested last eight and were later shifted to Bhagalpur central prison for security reasons.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today condoled the deaths of the policemen and an under-trial prisoner in the road accident and announced a compensation of Rs400,000 to the victims’ families.
