Katihar (Gurpreet Singh): A devastating road accident involving a bus, a truck, and a pickup van claimed at least 13 lives and left 30 others injured in Bihar’s Katihar district on Saturday evening, April 11, 2026. the collision occurred around 6:30 PM on National Highway 31 within the Kodha block. Katihar Superintendent of Police Shikhar Choudhary confirmed that while initial reports placed the death toll at seven, six more individuals tragically succumbed to their injuries during treatment.
The victims in the pickup van were reportedly travelling from the neighbouring Purnea district when the crash occurred. Preliminary investigations suggest that the bus driver, who is currently among the injured, may have lost control of the vehicle, triggering the pile-up. Local authorities and emergency teams rushed to the site, and all injured passengers have been moved to a government hospital in Purnea for urgent medical care.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed deep grief over the loss of lives and promptly announced financial assistance for the victims. An ex gratia of ₹2 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund has been sanctioned for the next of kin of the deceased, while ₹50,000 has been allocated for each of the injured. The Chief Minister has also issued directives to district officials to ensure that the survivors receive the highest quality medical treatment available. Police are currently working to ascertain the identities of all the deceased individuals.
