LUCKNOW: Four people, including a tractor driver, were killed after a tractor-trolley carrying bricks overturned on the Lucknow-Sultanpur Highway in Gosaiganj in the early hours of Saturday.
The deceased were identified as Pitambar Rawat, 35, Sandeep Rawat, 25, Pawan Rawat, 25, and Balram Rawat alias Ram Kishore, 20. All four were residents of Barabanki district.
According to the Gosaiganj police, the accident occurred near Gangaganj around 4.45 am. The hitch pin connecting the tractor to the trolley broke, causing the tractor to go out of control and overturn onto the highway barricading.
Upon information, police, fire services personnel and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials reached the spot. An NHAI crane was used to remove the trolley, following which the tractor was shifted to rescue those trapped underneath.
Police and local residents pulled out the victims and took all four to the Gosaiganj Community Health Centre (CHC). Three victims died on the spot, while the fourth succumbed to his injuries while being taken to the King George’s Medical University (KGMU) trauma centre.
Police said Pitambar was driving the tractor, while the other three worked at the brick kiln, loading and unloading bricks.
The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination. The victims’ families reached the KGMU post-mortem house after being informed about the accident, said Vasanth Kumar Rallapalli, Additional DCP, South Zone, Lucknow Police Commissionerate.
Victims' families devastated
Balram, the youngest of the four, was the sole earning member of his family. His father Ram Suresh said the brick kiln was about a kilometre from their house and Balram had left for work with his younger brother Ram Naval after receiving a call from the kiln around 3 am.
Ram Naval informed the family about the accident around 5 am. By the time they reached the spot, Balram had died.
Pitambar is survived by his mother Rama Devi, wife Neelam, daughter Shanti and two sons, Ankesh and Lilesh.
Pawan worked at the brick kiln loading and unloading bricks. His brother-in-law Sonu said Pawan had joined the kiln along with Sandeep only four days ago. Pawan is survived by his mother Kusuma Devi, wife Sushma, brother Dinesh and infant daughter Aarohi, who was born in April this year.
Sandeep was one of four brothers and three sisters.
ADCP South Zone Kumar said further investigation was underway to ascertain the circumstances that led to the tractor-trolley overturning on the highway.
