Bahraich: At least 20 pilgrims heading towards Ajmer were Friday night feared to have charred to death as a bus carrying them collided with a truck and burst into flames at Kotwali Dehat police station of the district, police sources here said.
The bus carrying the pilgrims from Ambedkar Nagar to Ajmer Sharif met with the head-on collision with the truck on Gonda-Bahraich road near Chilwaria village and caught fire at around 2230 hours.
Chief Development Officer of the district Sukhlal Bharti said 44 passengers of the 54-seater bus, that was carrying 60-70 people, were rescued.
Some pilgrims managed to get out of the bus, said the sources.
Over a dozen pilgrims were taken to hospital.
Rescuers, using gas-cutters, were trying to cut open the twisted metal of the bus to pull out bodies or possible survivors from inside the vehicle.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, May 19, 2012, 09:06