PATNA, Aug. 24 -- Nine people were killed and four others critically injured in a and auto-rickshaw collision on the Daniyawan-Hilsa State Highway-4 under Shahjahanpur police station in rural Patna on Saturday morning, police said. The injured were rushed to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), where their condition was critical. The victims, residents of Nalanda district, were on their way from Hilsa to Fatuha Triveni to take part in the Ganga Snan (ritual holy dip) when the accident occurred. According to police, five women died on the spot, while four others, including a man, succumbed to their injuries on the way to hospital. Rescue officials had to cut through the mangled vehicle to retrieve the bodies. Patna Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikram Sihag confirmed the incident. Following the accident, the truck driver fled the scene, while angry villagers blocked the highway, demanding compensation for the victims' families. Patna District Magistrate (DM) Thiyagrajan SM said that all possible assistance would be extended to the victims' families and the injured. Hilsa SDM Amit Kumar Patel handed over an immediate relief cheque of Rs.20,000 to the families of the deceased....