Kaushambi (UP): The death toll in a road accident involving a pickup vehicle and a trailer truck in Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi district has risen to 10, police said Saturday.
The accident occurred on Friday evening near a petrol pump in the Saini area when a pickup vehicle carrying devotees rammed into a stationary trailer truck on a national highway. The victims were returning to Fatehpur after attending a child’s tonsure ceremony in Prayagraj and visiting the Maa Sheetla shrine at Kada Dham, officials said.
According to the police, five women and three children died on the spot, while several others were seriously injured.
Two more women succumbed to their injuries late Friday night at the SRN Hospital in Prayagraj, taking the death toll to 10, Circle Officer Sirathu Santosh Kumar said Saturday.
The deceased women have been identified as Maiki (55) and Sindhi (58), he said.
Those who died on Friday were identified as Darshniya (68), Sukhrania (65), Maiki (56), Soni alias Sundari (50), Rajkumari (35), Gudia (27), Kallo (22), Dhruv (7), Anuj (8), and Mayank (10), all residents of Jafarganj in Fatehpur.
Around 28 people were travelling in the pickup vehicle, most of them members of the same family or relatives. Following the incident, over two dozen injured persons were rushed to nearby hospitals, with several referred to Prayagraj for advanced treatment. Currently, 24 injured persons are undergoing treatment, police said.
All the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination, which was conducted during the night, and the bodies have been dispatched to their native village in Fatehpur district, the officer said.
Police are maintaining a close watch on the situation in the village as the arrival of the bodies is likely to intensify the atmosphere of grief.
Eyewitnesses had earlier reported scenes of panic, with injured passengers lying on the highway and calling for help, following which locals alerted authorities and assisted in rescue efforts.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident, expressed condolences to the bereaved families and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
He also directed officials to ensure proper medical treatment for all those injured in the accident.
Police said they have registered an FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched a manhunt to trace the absconding trailer-truck driver.
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