LUCKNOW: Nine people were killed while 17 injured in a collision between a UP Roadways bus and a truck in the Tindwari police station area here on Monday afternoon, police said.
In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the deaths and the UPSRTC announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of each of the deceased and Rs 2.5 lakh for those who sustained serious injuries.
The accident took place near the Saimiri turn this afternoon, SP (Banda) Ganesh Prasad Saha said.
Altogether there were 50 passengers on the bus which was on its way to Fatehpur from Banda, the SP said, adding the identity of the victims was being established.
Senior officials, including the district magistrate, rushed to the scene of the accident.
An official spokesman in Lucknow said the chief minister has directed all officials concerned to make arrangements for the treatment of those injured in the accident.
The UPSRTC announced that it will bear the expenditure of the treatment of the injured.
UPSRTC MD Raj Shekhar and a technical team had rushed to the site for a preliminary assessment, an official spokesman said.
The MD had asked for a report on preliminary reasons and a sequence of events leading to the accident, he added.
Later in a statement, Raj Shekhar said, "In the preliminary investigation and the site visit, it is believed that the truck ran into the bus and hit the right portion of the bus immediately after the driver seat. The truck brushed the complete right side portion of the bus, causing the death of nine persons and injuring 17."
The driver and conductor of the bus had suffered injuries and were being treated at a hospital, he said.
"The driver of the UPSRTC bus has a valid driving license and was driving the vehicle in order. The vehicle's physical fitness was in order and the speed limit device was installed. It was in working condition. The speed at that time as per the vehicle tracking system was 50 km/hour," the UPSRTC MD said.
He added that the driver and assistant of the truck fled after the accident. An FIR against them has been registered by the UPSRTC.