LUCKNOW: At least eight persons were killed, and three others injured when a jeep carrying them rammed into a stationary truck on National Highway-28 in Siddharthnagar district on Sunday morning. The accident took place in Katya village located on Naugarh Bansi road of Jogia police station area.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the accident and announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased.
"The road accident in Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh, is very painful. My condolences are with the bereaved families. May God give them the strength to bear this immense sorrow," Modi was quoted as saying by his office. The PM also wished a speedy recovery to all the injured.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the deaths and directed officials to ensure proper relief operations and best possible medical attention to the injured.
Police said that the deceased were identified as Sachin Pal (16), Mukesh Pal (35), Lalaram Paswan (26), Shiv Sagar (18), Ravi Paswan (19), Pintu Gupta (25), Ram Baran (35), and driver Gaurav Maurya (22).
Superintendent of Police, Siddharthnagar, Yash Veer Singh, said that the accident occurred when a jeep carrying 11 passengers and returning from a wedding ceremony hit a stationary truck parked on the roadside from behind.
"The impact was so hard that the vehicle was reduced to a pulp," said the SP.
Hearing a loud thud, the locals rushed for rescue and informed the police. A team rushed to the spot and pulled out seven bodies from the mangled pieces of the vehicle. Four were sent to local hospitals for treatment, during which one succumbed to the injuries, said the police.
Police said that an FIR has been registered and the efforts were on to nab the errant driver whose negligence led to the accident, and trace the owner of the truck.
Three months ago, six members of a family travelling in a car were killed after they had collided with a stationary truck parked mid-way on a highway in Barabanki in a similar manner.
Shock grips village that lost 5 residents
Shock and silence gripped Mahla village of Shohratgarh police station area, of which, five residents were killed in the road accident. Kripanath Pal whose 16-year-old son Sachin died was inconsolable. “He was my only hope for the future,” he said. Teary-eyed Lalmati was numb after hearing the news of the demise of her 18-year-old son Shiv Sagar.
