A tragic road accident on the Purvanchal Expressway, compounded by severe foggy conditions, claimed the life of a teenager and left five others with serious injuries in Azamgarh district on Monday morning. In a separate incident in Chandauli, two young men lost their lives in a motorcycle crash, highlighting the perilous driving conditions brought on by the dense winter fog across Uttar Pradesh.
Purvanchal Expressway Collision: A Fatal Stop
The accident on the Purvanchal Expressway occurred near Samshabaad village at the 207-kilometre milestone. According to Azamgarh's CO Budhanpur, Ajay Pratap Singh, a private bus travelling from Rajasthan to Azamgarh had pulled over. The driver stopped because some passengers needed to relieve themselves.
As passengers were disembarking, a speeding truck approached from behind. Due to extremely poor visibility caused by dense fog, the truck driver failed to notice the stationary bus. The truck rammed into the bus with tremendous force, causing both vehicles to skid for approximately 50 metres.
The impact proved fatal for 17-year-old Deepak Chauhan from Mubarakpur, who was killed on the spot. Five other individuals sustained grave injuries:
- Santosh Kumar (27) from Ballia
- Rahul Yadav (25) from Ballia
- Naseem (25) from Ghazipur
- Mukkhu (55) from Mau
- The truck driver
All injured were rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. The body of Deepak Chauhan was sent for a post-mortem examination. After the crash, authorities cleared the vehicles from the expressway and initiated legal proceedings.
Chandauli's Separate Nighttime Tragedy
In a heartbreaking parallel incident in Chandauli district, two youths died late on Sunday night. The accident took place near Dharhara village, under the jurisdiction of the Sakaldiha police station.
Sakaldiha police station in-charge Deelip Srivastava stated that three youths from Dedhawal village were returning home on a motorcycle from Sakaldiha town. Their speeding and uncontrolled bike crashed into a roadside wall, which collapsed from the impact.
The victims were identified as Akhilesh Rajbhar alias Panaru (20) and Nikhil Prajapati (28), both of whom were declared dead at the hospital. The third youth, Pankaj Kharwar (30), suffered serious injuries. He was initially treated at a local hospital before being referred to the trauma centre of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi for advanced care.
Widespread Disruption from Dense Fog
The twin tragedies underscore the severe challenges posed by the current weather conditions. The dense fog blanket has severely hampered visibility, affecting transport networks across the region.
Road traffic on internal city roads and major highways has been slow and hazardous. The railway network has also been hit, with a large number of trains experiencing significant delays. Furthermore, flight operations at airports in the area have been disrupted, causing inconvenience to air travellers.
Authorities continue to advise extreme caution while driving during early morning and late night hours when fog is at its peak. They recommend using fog lights, reducing speed, and maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles to prevent such accidents.
