A tragic road accident in Uttar Pradesh's Basti district has claimed four lives and left ten others injured. The fatal collision occurred in the early hours of Tuesday when a passenger bus and a truck crashed head-on.
Details of the Tragic Collision
The accident took place around 2 am on the Lumbini-Duddhi road. The bus was carrying approximately 60 passengers who were on a pilgrimage to Ajmer Sharif to attend the annual 'urs'. The impact of the crash was devastating, completely crushing the front portions of both vehicles. The force threw several passengers onto the road and trapped many others inside the mangled wreckage of the bus.
Local residents and police personnel immediately launched a rescue operation, working for nearly half an hour to extricate the injured from the debris. Senior officials, including DIG Sanjeev Tyagi and District Magistrate Kritika Jyotsna, rushed to the site to supervise the efforts.
Victims and Official Response
The deceased have been identified as Abdullah (60) and Mukhtar Ali (75), both residents of Basti, along with bus driver Sandeep Pandey (32) and truck driver Shivraj Singh.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed profound sorrow over the loss of life. He announced financial assistance for the victims' families from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh will be provided to the next of kin of each deceased person, while the injured will receive Rs 50,000 each. The CM has also directed officials to submit a detailed report and conduct a thorough inquiry into the cause of the accident.
Preliminary Cause and Investigation
Speaking to the media, Basti SP Abhinandan indicated that fog appears to be the prima facie cause of the horrific accident. Poor visibility during the late-night hours likely contributed to the head-on collision. A formal investigation is underway as per the Chief Minister's directives to ascertain the exact sequence of events and any other contributing factors.
This incident highlights the recurring danger of road travel, especially on highways during winter nights when fog severely reduces visibility. It serves as a grim reminder for authorities to enhance road safety measures and for travelers to exercise extreme caution.
