FATEHPUR: Four men lost their lives and five others were seriously injured after a speeding SUV plunged into a pond near a toll plaza on the Kanpur-Prayagraj National Highway in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur district on Wednesday, police said.
The victims were returning to Prayagraj after attending a wedding in Kanpur when the accident occurred near the Barauri toll plaza. According to police, the vehicle veered off the road and fell into the pond, reportedly after the driver either dozed off or lost control.
However, the driver, Rahul Kumar, told police that the vehicle began to wobble moments before the crash, indicating a possible tyre burst.
“As soon as we reached Fatehpur, the vehicle started wobbling. I suspected low tyre pressure. About 10 minutes before the accident, we stopped near the Barauri toll plaza to check the tyres. Everything appeared fine, so we continued. But barely 300 metres ahead, the tyre suddenly burst, and the vehicle went out of control and overturned,” Kumar recounted.
Upon receiving information, police teams rushed to the site and, with the help of locals, pulled the SUV from the water.
Four passengers drowned in the incident, while five others, including the driver, were rescued with the help of local residents. The injured were initially taken to a nearby hospital and later referred to Kanpur for advanced medical care. The bodies of the deceased were sent to the mortuary for post-mortem examination.
The deceased have been identified as Sahil Gupta (26), Shivam Sahu (28), Ritesh Sonkar (28), and Rahul Keserwani (25), all residents of Khuldabad in Prayagraj.
Police said the families of the victims have been informed.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences over the loss of lives and directed officials to ensure the injured receive the best possible medical treatment.
