23 dead, dozens injured in multiple road accidents across Uttar Pradesh

Rescue work underway after a car crashed into a tree and plunged into a ditch, in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday. Pic/PTI

At least 23 people were killed and several others injured in separate road accidents across various districts of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, the police said.

According to news agency PTI, in Pilibhit, six people died when a car carrying a wedding party crashed into a tree and then plunged into a ditch around midnight.

In Chitrakoot, six others were killed when a sports utility vehicle (SUV) collided head-on with a truck.

In Kannauj, eight passengers were killed when a private bus collided with a water tanker on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, PTI reported. Meanwhile, in capital Lucknow, three men lost their lives when their motorcycle was struck by an unidentified vehicle in the Mall Police Station area.

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi expressed his condolences for the loss of life in the Kannauj accident and announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh each from the PM National Relief Fund for the families of the victims and Rs 50,000 each for the injured.

"Saddened by the loss of lives in the bus accident in Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF will be given to the next of kin of each deceased, and the injured will receive Rs 50,000," Modi posted on X.

In Pilibhit, the accident occurred when a car with 11 people on board rammed into a tree on the Pilibhit-Tanakpur Road before falling into a ditch. The driver lost control while attempting to overtake another vehicle. The victims, all from Uttarakhand's Khatima district, were returning from a wedding in Chandoi village when the tragedy struck, PTI reported. The victims have been identified as Munni, 65; Manzoor Ahmed, 60; Bahiuddin, 55; Sharif Ahmed, 60; Sahe Alam, 35, and Rakim, 11. Three of the injured were referred to a superior medical facility, while the rest received initial treatment in a local hospital. Superintendent of Police (SP) Avinash Kumar Pandey told PTI Videos that the rescue operation lasted for more than an hour and a half, and a bulldozer was used to clear a fallen tree that had trapped the vehicle.

In Chitrakoot, a head-on collision between an SUV and a truck on the Jhansi-Mirzapur Highway resulted in six deaths and five injuries. The victims, 11 family members from Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh, were returning after immersing ashes in the Ganga at Prayagraj. The survivors were treated in a local hospital before being referred to the district hospital. The victims were identified as Mangana and Nanhe, both aged 65; Hariram and Mohan, both aged 45; Ramu, 44, and Ramswaroop Yadav, whose age has not been confirmed.

In Kannauj, a private sleeper bus going to Delhi from Lucknow collided with a water tanker around 2 pm. The crash resulted in the deaths of eight passengers and left 19 others injured, who were taken to Saifai Medical College in Etawah district. The unhurt passengers were transferred to another bus.

In Lucknow, Sonu, 18; Raju and Dharmendra (both aged 22) were killed when their motorcycle was struck by an unidentified vehicle in the Mall Police Station area in the early hours of Friday. The police have lodged a first information report (FIR) and initiated an investigation into the incident.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. He also instructed officials to expedite relief efforts and provide assistance to the affected families.

Additionally, on Thursday evening, a Police Response Vehicle (PRV) in Rampur district overturned, resulting in the death of a female constable and severe injuries to three other personnel. Rampur Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Atul Kumar Srivastava said the PRV was travelling from the Patwai police station area to an event when it fell into a drain. Constable Ruchi, a native of Bijnor district, succumbed to her injuries, while Constable Akash Diwakar (PRV Commander), Constable Sumit Pawar (driver), and Constable Pinky sustained injuries and have been referred to Moradabad for further treatment.\

(With PTI inputs)