LUCKNOW: At least 16 people, including a woman and three children, were killed and several others suffered serious injuries in a road accident when a loaded truck hit a tempo and overturned over a van full of passengers on National Highway 24 in Shahjahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday morning.
According to police sources, the mishap occurred at Jumka crossing when a loaded truck fell over a tempo and another van and then overturned.
As per Shahjahanpur SP (City) Dinesh Tripathi, those killed were travelling in the van which fell into a roadside ditch under the impact of truck. He added that the truck later overturned over the van.
Meanwhile, the injured were admitted to a local hospital, the SP said.
Taking cognizance of the incident, chief minister Yogi Adityanath expressed profound grief over the death of so many people. He directed the authorities to ensure proper care and treatment of the injured persons and appropriate compensation to the victims.
The truck laden with paan masala was coming from Sitapur and the driver lost control over wheels as it reached Jumka roundabout under Roja police station area of Shahjahanpur. The truck first hit the temp carrying passengers from behind and then overturned over the van beside it.
After the accident, the enraged public tried to block the traffic on the highway but with the intervention of DM Indra Vikram Singh and SSP Dr S Chinappa, the situation was brought under control.
The truck driver Anees, who was also severely injured and was admitted to the district hospital, narrated the incident to the officials.
“We have quizzed the tempo driver. It seems that the truck driver lost control over the wheels and hit the temp from behind. We are trying to establish the identity of the deceased and injured are being attended by the doctors a district hospital,” said the DM while talking to media persons.