LUCKNOW: At least 40 pilgrims, including women and children, were injured after a bus crashed into a tree in the Ratanpura area in the early hours of Sunday, police said. The bus was travelling from Ayodhya to Ballia when the accident occurred around 1:30 am on the Ratanpura–Mubarakpur road under Haldharpur police station limits. According to police, the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to ram into a roadside tree. “The pilgrims were headed back home after attending a religious event in Ayodhya when the accident took place,” a police official said. The front portion of the bus was severely damaged due to the impact. Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Sanjay Gupta said around 35 to 40 passengers suffered injuries in the crash. Local residents rushed to the spot and helped rescue the victims, taking them first to the Jogapur community health centre. Later, the injured were shifted to Mau district hospital for further treatment.
