18 killed after a pick-up van rams stationary truck in Bengal's Nadia

Eighteen people were killed during a funeral procession after a pick-up van carrying the bier rammed into a stationary truck in West Bengal's Nadia district on Sunday, police said.

The accident took place in Hanskhali early in the morning when the vehicle carrying 35 people besides the body hit a stone-laden truck parked beside a state highway, an officer said, adding that

low visibility due to fog might have caused it.

Twelve of them died on the spot, while the six later succumbed to the injuries. Six women and a child were among the deceased.

One of the injured persons said that they were going to Bagda in North 24 Parganas for the funeral when the accident took place.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were among those who condoled the deaths.

State Forest Minister Jyotipriyo Mallick, who visited the village of the deceased, told PTI that he has personally handed over cheques of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of the kin of the deceased.

"Ten members of one family and seven members of another, besides the driver, have died. They were on their way to participate in the funeral of an elderly woman.

"I have never seen such an accident in my entire life. We are on the side of the people. CM is regularly calling me and monitoring the situation," the minister said.

Mullick said that the deceased were later cremated at burning ghats in Bagda, Bongaon and Nabadwip, where heart-rending scenes were witnessed as relatives broke down when the bodies were brought for the final rites.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Extremely pained by the loss of lives due to a road accident in Nadia, West Bengal. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest."

Shah, too, prayed for strength and well-being of the grieving families.

"I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this. May God give them the strength to bear this grief. I wish the injured a speedy recovery, he tweeted.

Banerjee promised to "provide necessary assistance to the families" of the victims.

"Heartbroken to hear about the road accident in Nadia. I offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of those who were injured. May God give them the strength to get past this difficult time," she wrote in a Twitter post.

Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar stressed on promotion of road safety measures.

"Deeply pained at reported death of 18 people and 5 others injured in Nadia District after the vehicle they were travelling in collided with a truck parked on the side of road. Expect all efforts @MamataOfficial to the family of deceased and injured. Need to promote Road Safety," he stated.