A tragic road accident in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district early on July 29 claimed the lives of 5 to 18 Kanwariya pilgrims, with at least 23 injured, according to conflicting reports. The collision involved a 32-seater bus carrying devotees to the Basukinath temple and a truck loaded with cooking gas cylinders, and occurred near Jamuniya forest under the Mohanpur police station limits at approximately 4:30 AM.

Inspector General Shailendra Kumar Sinha confirmed via PTI that five pilgrims died, 23 were injured, and some are in serious condition. However, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, whose constituency includes Deoghar, claimed 18 Kanwariyas lost their lives in a post on X. A third official, Traffic Deputy SP Laxman Prasad, suggested the number could be nine.

Local authorities have launched rescue and relief operations, and injured pilgrims have been transported to hospitals and primary health centres, including the Saraiyahat PHC in Dumka. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren mourned the incident, offering his condolences and pledging administrative support to those affected. Officials warned the death toll may rise, given the critical condition of several injured.