The mishap took place on the National Highway 31 near Asuragarh under the Kanki police station area, 50 kms from Raiganj. While five people, including the child, were killed on the spot, another died on the way to Kishanganj hospital in Bihar.

During the time of the accident, around 100 passengers, mostly from Darbhanga in Bihar, were on the bus. After the bus developed technical snags, it was parked on the side of the highway.

While the bus attendants were involved in repair work, several passengers had disembarked from the bus when an Uttar Pradesh-bound truck rammed into the bus from the rear. The impact pushed the bus forward, crushing passengers who were standing in front of it.