UP: Road accident in Pratapgarh kills 14, including six children
In a terrible piece of news, 14 people died in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh after the car they were traveling in collided with a truck on a highway, late last night. Among the deceased, six were children. Reports said the group was a part of a wedding party and was returning from Nawabganj. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief after the news surfaced. Here's more.
Truck was parked when SUV rammed into it
The tragic accident happened at Prayagraj-Lucknow highway near Deshraj Inara village around 11:45 pm. The area comes under Manikpur station's jurisdiction. Divulging details of the accident, Pratapgarh Superintendent of Police (SP) Anurag Arya said the truck was parked on the side of the highway when the SUV — Mahindra Bolero — hit it from behind. The vehicle was parked due to a tire puncture.
A damaged SUV was pulled from under the truck
The intensity of the collision was such that SUV was crumpled. Half of it was pulled from under the truck. While five bodies were recovered quickly after the accident, others were pulled out with the SUV. All the kids who died were aged between 7 and 15. The other eight deceased were men aged between 20 and 60, reports NDTV.
Bodies will be sent for post-mortem today: SP
SP Arya said cops have spoken to the families of victims, village heads and assured all possible help. "All the bodies will be sent for post-mortem examination on Friday," he said, adding that efforts are being launched to trace the owner of both the SUV and truck. The CM's office also put out a statement, revealing that Adityanath asked senior officials to help victims.
