PATNA: At least four passengers were killed and more than 30 others injured as the private bus they were travelling in turned turtle near Shankar Lohar Chowk on Bahera-Baheri Road (SH-56) under the Baheri police station area in Darbhanga district around 1pm on Sunday. Sources said the bus was going from Pokhrama in Biraul to Laheriasarai, both in Darbhanga district.Darbhanga SSP Manoj Kumar said the accident took place while the driver probably tried to save a motorcyclist coming from Samastipur side. “A person from Samastipur was critically injured. He is undergoing treatment at Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). A bike bearing registration number of Samastipur was also found at the accident site,” the SSP said.Baheri circle officer Vimal Kumar Karn said the deceased were identified as Mukesh Mandal (35), Dinesh Chaupal (30), Mohammad Laddu and Mohammad Shakur. He said Mukesh was the co-driver of the bus and the other three were passengers. “The age of Laddu and Shakur were yet to be ascertained,” he said.“Mukesh was from Shankar Lohar and Dinesh belonged to Havadih village under the Baheri police station area while Laddu and Shakur were residents of Lohni village under the Biraul police station area,” the CO said.He said an ex gratia payment of Rs4 lakh was made to the next of kin of Mukesh and Dinesh while documentation process was on for the other two deceased.He said 11 passengers were undergoing treatment at Baheri primary health centre (PHC) while 22 injured were admitted to DMCH.Karn said the bus driver had applied brakes suddenly to avoid the motorcycle coming from the opposite direction and plunged into a roadside ditch before rolling over a couple of times.Baheri SHO (in charge) Ranjeet Kumar said an FIR was lodged against the driver. “The bus was removed from the accident spot,” he added.

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