Surat, June 3 (IANS) Gujarat Health Minister Praful Pansheriya visited Surat Civil Hospital on Wednesday to meet passengers injured in the fatal bus accident near Bardoli, assuring them of full medical support and directing hospital authorities to ensure uninterrupted treatment and care.

Pansheriya, who arrived in Surat from Gandhinagar, went directly to the Civil Hospital where he met the injured passengers, enquired about their condition, and interacted with their family members.

“The doctors and healthcare staff at Surat Civil Hospital are providing the best possible treatment. Necessary instructions have been issued to the hospital administration to ensure that all required medical facilities are made available to the patients promptly,” the minister said.

He added that he stood with the injured and their families during the difficult period and prayed for their speedy recovery.

Calling the Bardoli bus accident “extremely tragic and distressing”, Pansheriya said he was deeply saddened when he learnt of the incident.

According to the minister, doctors, medical officers, and nursing staff from multiple departments began treating victims on a war footing soon after the accident.

He said around nine patients were undergoing treatment at the hospital and that their condition was stable.

The accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon on National Highway 53 near Uva village in Bardoli taluka of Surat district when two Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses collided.

One of the buses overturned and caught fire following the crash, triggering a major rescue operation involving police, fire brigade personnel, and local authorities.

Initial police findings indicated that a bus travelling towards Maharashtra lost control after colliding with a vehicle ahead, crossed the divider, and struck an oncoming bus.

Police said seven people were killed in the accident and around 40 others sustained injuries.

The deceased were travelling in the bus that caught fire. Injured passengers were taken to hospitals in Bardoli and Surat for treatment.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Pansheriya noted that the state government and the Health Department remained fully committed to the treatment and care of the injured passengers and their families.

–IANS

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