A tragic accident on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway claimed four lives early Tuesday morning, with dense fog and a burst tyre being cited as the primary causes. The incident occurred near the 241km landmark in the Bangarmau area of Unnao district.
Sequence of a Fatal Morning
The accident took place at approximately 5:15 am near Nasirapur village, on the expressway's airstrip section. According to police investigations based on CCTV footage, an SUV was travelling at a high speed of around 100 km/h when one of its tyres burst. The combination of the sudden tyre failure and severely reduced visibility due to thick fog caused the driver to lose control.
The vehicle then crashed into concrete boulders lining the roadside, which were obscured by the fog. The impact was severe, leading the SUV to overturn. Despite all airbags deploying successfully, the crash proved fatal for all occupants. The front portion of the vehicle sustained massive damage.
Victims and Immediate Aftermath
Local residents reported hearing a loud sound, akin to an explosion, and rushed to the scene. Passersby immediately alerted the police, who, along with a team from UPEIDA (Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority), swiftly responded. Traffic on the expressway was halted temporarily to facilitate rescue operations.
Emergency workers extracted the passengers from the mangled wreckage. All four individuals were pronounced dead and their bodies were sent for post-mortem examination. The damaged vehicle was later removed using a crane and taken to the Bangarmau toll plaza for further inspection.
Three of the deceased have been identified. They are:
- Ashok Kumar Agrawal (55), a trader from Raj Nagar Extension, Ghaziabad.
- Abhinav Agrawal (20), son of Satish Agrawal from Govindpuri, Modi Nagar, who was driving the vehicle belonging to his uncle.
- Aakash Agrawal (25), son of Vinod Agrawal from Modi Nagar, Ghaziabad.
- Avnish Kushal (29), son of Ram Kumar from Kanpur.
Kotwali inspector Akhilesh Chandra Pandey confirmed that relatives of all the deceased had been notified. Efforts are ongoing to formally identify the fourth victim.
Political Connection and Community Response
CO Bangarmau Santosh Singh revealed that the group was en route to Lucknow to participate in a political programme. The victim, Ashok Agrawal, was known to be close to Om Prakash Rajbhar, the national president of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP).
Rajbhar visited the mortuary in Unnao to meet the grieving families. Expressing his condolences, he stated, "We stand firmly with the deceased's family in this hour of grief and pray for strength to the family to bear this immense sorrow." He added that the CO had informed him about the accident in the morning.
This fatal incident underscores the extreme dangers of driving at high speeds during winter fog, a recurring hazard on North Indian highways. Police have reiterated warnings for motorists to exercise utmost caution, reduce speed, and use appropriate lights when visibility is poor.
