Kaushambi: Eight people, including five women and three children, were killed after a pickup truck carrying devotees rammed into a stationary trailer on the national highway on Friday, police said.
The accident took place around 4:00 pm at Doroma petrol pump in Saini area.
A vehicle traveling from Prayagraj to Fatehpur hit a trailer parked on the roadside, a local police officer said.
The victims, residents of Jahanabad-Bindki area of Fatehpur district, were returning home after visiting the shrine of Maa Sheetla at Kada Dham. They had earlier traveled to Prayagraj to attend the child’s tonsure ceremony, police said, adding that they were surrendering the injuries to the same family and their relatives.
Around two dozen devotees, including women and children, were traveling in the pickup truck at the time of the incident, the official added.
Additional Director General of Police (Prayagraj Zone) Jyoti Narayan, who also reached the accident site, confirmed to PTI that eight people died and several others sustained serious injuries in the accident.
Eyewitnesses described panicked scenes as injured passengers lay on the highway and cried for help. Local residents rushed to the spot and alerted the authorities.
The police along with emergency teams started rescue operations and deployed several ambulances to take the injured to a nearby community health centre.
Superintendent of Police, Kaushambi, Rajesh Kumar said that the injured were immediately taken to hospital and their condition was stabilized after treatment.
An official attached to the Ministry of Health said more than 20 injured persons were taken to the facility, some with fractures, while several were sent to the district hospital for advanced treatment. Several victims succumbed to their injuries while being taken to hospital, the official said.
Traffic on the highway was briefly interrupted after the accident, but was later restored. Police have launched an investigation to find out the exact cause of the accident.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the incident and expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.
He also announced the ex gratia of ₹2 lakh each to the relatives of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured while also ordering the authorities to ensure proper medical treatment for all the injured.
