Supaul Bus Accident on NH-27: Bus Hits Parked Truck, Helper Killed; Cause Under Investigation

What happened

In the early hours of Monday, 12 October 2026, a Dev Travels passenger bus running from Patna to Jogbani in Araria district ran into the back of a truck parked on the side of National Highway 27 near Jhajha village, in the Saraigarh panchayat area under Bhaptiyahi police station, Supaul district, Bihar. The IANS report puts the time at around 3 a.m. Prabhat Khabar and ETV Bharat said about 30 passengers were on board.

According to the IANS report, the truck’s brakes had reportedly failed and its driver had parked it by the highway, planning to get it repaired in the morning. Prabhat Khabar and ETV Bharat reported that the truck was loaded with material used to make firecrackers. No fire was reported.

Two different accounts of how the bus came to hit the truck have been published. IANS, quoting officials, said the preliminary inquiry suggests the bus was travelling at high speed and its driver may have dozed off for a few seconds. Prabhat Khabar, ETV Bharat and FirstBihar reported that the bus lost control while overtaking another bus. Neither account is an official finding, and IANS noted that the exact cause had yet to be established.

The people

The bus helper (khalasi), Bhagirath Jha, was killed on the spot. Prabhat Khabar and ETV Bharat gave his age as 44 and said he was the son of Vijay Narayan Jha of Ward 7, Motipur village, under Karjain police station. IANS and some Hindi outlets placed Motipur under Raghopur police station instead. IANS reported that the left side of the bus, where the helper was sitting, took the worst of the impact.

Prabhat Khabar and ETV Bharat named six passengers as seriously injured, aged between 17 and 49, from Supaul, Vaishali and Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh. IANS said more than six passengers were hurt. An NHAI ambulance took the injured to the Community Health Centre at Saraigarh-Bhaptiyahi, where Dr Laxmikant Rai treated them. One passenger, Jaspal Singh, 43, of Sambhal, was referred to Sadar Hospital, Supaul. IANS quoted an official as saying the injured were discharged after first aid. Some regional YouTube news channels put the number of injured at 36; we could not find that figure in any written report.

Response and investigation

Bhaptiyahi police reached the spot and seized both the bus and the truck. Prabhat Khabar, ETV Bharat and FirstBihar reported that the bus driver left the bus and ran away after the crash; FirstBihar said police were looking for him. Station House Officer Jayprakash Chaudhary said the helper’s body had been sent to Sadar Hospital, Supaul, for post-mortem and that police were investigating. IANS said police were checking the reported brake failure and where the two vehicles stood on the highway, and were recording statements from the injured.

When we checked on 16 October 2026, we could not find any published report of an FIR naming anyone, the bus driver’s arrest or surrender, compensation for the helper’s family, or a finding on the cause.

Why this matters

This crash brings together three things that kill people on Indian highways every night: a tired or rushing driver at the hour when the body most wants sleep, a heavy vehicle standing on the road edge in the dark, and a bus where the people sitting in the front, most often the helper and the driver, take the full force of a rear-end hit.

NCRB’s Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India 2024 report recorded 1,223 deaths in road accidents put down to vehicles parked on road shoulders and 1,250 deaths put down to driver fatigue. These are causes as recorded by police; fatigue is hard to prove after a crash, so the real number is likely higher. The same report counted 4,903 people travelling in buses who died in road accidents in 2024.

Lessons for drivers, operators and passengers

• A tired driver must stop, not push on. Between midnight and dawn, the body wants to sleep. Night buses on long routes need a relief driver or a planned rest halt, and owners must not set schedules that make drivers race.
• Overtake only when you can see the road clear. On a two-lane highway at night you often cannot see a dark truck on the shoulder until the last moment. If you cannot see far enough, stay behind.
• A broken-down vehicle must be made visible. Switch on the hazard lights, keep the parking lights on, place reflective warning triangles well behind the vehicle and, if you can, move it fully off the carriageway. Then call 112 or the NHAI helpline 1033 for help.
• Passengers can choose a safer seat. The front row, the seat beside the driver and the seats near the door take the worst of a front-end crash. On a night bus, a seat in the middle of the bus, away from the door, is a better choice. If your seat has a belt, wear it.
• Speak up. If you see the driver nodding off or racing other buses, tell the conductor or driver to stop. You can also call 112.

What to do after a bus crash

• Check yourself first, then the person next to you. Get out only when it is safe, and move well away from the road, behind a barrier or off the shoulder.
• Call 112 or the ambulance on 108 and give the highway number, the nearest village or landmark, and the direction of travel. The NHAI helpline is 1033.
• Do not pull an injured person out of a seat unless there is fire or another immediate danger. Moving them can make neck and back injuries worse.
• Note the bus number, the operator and your ticket. You will need them for an insurance claim or a motor accident claim.

What is still not known

Whether the bus driver fell asleep, was overtaking, or both; how fast the bus was going; whether the truck had its hazard lights on or any warning triangles placed behind it; whether the brake failure has been confirmed; and the final number of injured have not been officially confirmed. We could not find any report of the bus driver’s arrest or an FIR naming anyone. We will update this page when official findings are published.