Patna, Feb 1 : A horrific road accident in Bihta, near Patna, Bihar, claimed the lives of five people and left three others critically injured after a speeding truck rammed into an auto-rickshaw on Sunday.

The accident occurred around 2.00 a.m. near Lekhan Tola village in the Bihta police station area.

According to police, an out-of-control truck collided head-on with an auto-rickshaw carrying passengers, crushing the three-wheeler completely due to the force of the impact.

Five passengers died on the spot, while three others sustained serious injuries.

Local residents rushed the injured to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), where their condition remains critical. Among the injured are two children.

According to locals, all the victims belonged to the same family and were returning to Bhojpur district after attending the Maner Urs fair.

The deceased include three men and two women.

Eyewitnesses said the accident scene was filled with panic, screams, and chaos as people struggled to pull the injured out of the mangled auto-rickshaw.

Police were immediately informed, and a team from Bihta police station reached the spot.

The bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem examination, and the families have been informed.

Confirming the incident, the SHO of Bihta police station said that an investigation has been launched to trace the truck driver and the vehicle, which fled the scene after the collision.

This tragic incident has once again raised serious concerns over road safety, particularly during late-night hours, and the dangers posed by speeding and reckless driving on highways.

On Saturday, a doctor couple lost their lives in a tragic road accident near a toll plaza under the Sarai police station area of Vaishali district. The accident occurred amid dense fog when their car rammed into a parked container truck on the highway. The deceased were identified as Dr Jitendra Prasad (50) and his wife (45), both posted at Araria Sadar Hospital and were residents of Patna district. They were returning home from Araria at the time of the incident.

Earlier on January 30, a tragic road accident in Biharâ??s Araria district claimed the lives of two young men, including an SSB jawan. The incident occurred on the Araria-Raniganj main road near the Girhinda showroom when a speeding Bullet Motorcycle collided with a police jeep parked on the roadside.

/IANS