Seven killed, over 40 injured as two Maharashtra ST buses collide in Gujarat’s Surat

Mangalore Today News Network

Mumbai, Jun 3, 2026: At least seven people were killed and more than 40 injured when two Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses collided on National Highway 53 near Bardoli in Gujarat’s Surat district on Tuesday evening.

According to preliminary investigations, an MSRTC bus travelling from Dhule to Surat via Navapur first crashed into a water tanker moving ahead of it. The impact caused the bus to jump the central divider and collide head-on with another MSRTC bus travelling from Chalisgaon to Surat on the opposite carriageway.

The collision was so severe that one of the buses overturned into a roadside ditch and caught fire, making rescue operations more challenging.

Officials said both buses were carrying around 30 passengers each. Emergency response teams rushed to the scene and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the tragedy and said the state transport corporation and the Jalgaon district administration were coordinating closely with authorities in Surat to provide all necessary assistance to the victims and their families.

State Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan confirmed that seven people had lost their lives in the accident.

President Droupadi Murmu also conveyed her condolences, describing the loss of lives as deeply saddening and wishing a speedy recovery to those injured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 for each injured person.

Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar urged the Maharashtra government to provide financial assistance to the victims’ families and ensure adequate medical and financial support for the injured. He also called for arrangements to transport the bodies of the deceased back to Maharashtra.

Surat Rural Superintendent of Police Rajesh Gadhiya said rescue and medical teams responded swiftly after the accident. He confirmed that seven deaths had been reported and that around 25 to 30 injured passengers were undergoing treatment at hospitals in the area.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident.