23 dead, dozens injured in many road accidents across UP on Dec 6; PM announces solatium for Kannauj victims

LUCKNOW:  Twenty-three people were killed and several injured in separate road accidents in various districts of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, police said.

In Pilibhit, six people were killed when a car carrying a wedding party crashed into a tree, before plunging into a ditch around midnight. In Chitrakoot, six people were killed when a sports utility vehicle (SUV) collided head-on with a truck.

In Kannauj, eight passengers lost their lives when a private bus hit a water tanker on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway.

In Lucknow, three men were killed when their motorcycle was hit by an unidentified vehicle in the Mall police station area.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the Kannauj incident and announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of the deceased 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 said in a post on X.

In the Pilibhit incident, a car with 11 people on board rammed into a tree before falling into a ditch on the Pilibhit-Tanakpur road in the Neora police station area. The driver lost control over the car while trying to overtake another vehicle.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Avinash Kumar Pandey told PTI Videos that the rescue operation lasted for more than an hour and a half, with a bulldozer used to clear a fallen tree that had trapped the vehicle.

The victims, all from Uttarakhand's Khatima district, were returning from a wedding in Chandoi village when the tragedy struck. The deceased 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 others received initial treatment at a local hospital.

In Chitrakoot, six people died and five were injured when their SUV collided head-on with a truck on the Jhansi-Mirzapur highway in the Raipura police station area at around 5:30 am.

SP Arun Kumar Singh said the 11 family members from Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh were returning home after immersing ashes in the Ganga in Prayagraj. The survivors were treated at a local hospital and subsequently, referred to the district hospital for further care.

The deceased were identified as Nanhe (65), Hariram (45), Mohan (45), Ramu (44), Mangana (65) and Ramswaroop Yadav (age unconfirmed).

In Kannauj, the accident occurred around 2 pm on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway when a private sleeper bus, travelling from Lucknow to Delhi, collided with a water tanker that was irrigating plants on the highway.

Kannauj SP Amit Kumar Anand confirmed that eight passengers were killed in the crash and 19 injured. The injured were taken to the Saifai Medical College in Etawah district for treatment, while who people who escaped unhurt were sent to their destinations on another bus.

According to a press statement issued by the Lucknow Police, Sonu (18), Raju and Dharmendra (22) were returning home in the early hours of Friday when their motorcycle was hit by an unidentified vehicle in the Mall police station area. The trio were rushed to hospital where the doctors declared them dead. Police have lodged an FIR regarding the incident and initiated a probe.

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

On Thursday evening, a Police Response Vehicle (PRV) met with an accident in Rampur district, resulting in the death of a female constable and severe injuries to three personnel.

Rampur Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Atul Kumar Srivastava said the PRV, travelling from the Patwai police station area to an event, overturned and fell into a drain.

Constable Ruchi, a native of Bijnor district, succumbed to her injuries, while PRV Commander Constable Akash Diwakar, Constable (driver) Sumit Pawar and Constable Pinky got injured and have been referred to Moradabad for better treatment.