LUCKNOW: Six people were killed and four others were seriously injured in a road accident on Monday morning near Jolhupur turn on National Highway -27 in the Kalpi Kotwali area of Jalaun district. The incident occurred when an SUV returning from Ayodhya to Lalitpur went out of control after the driver dozed off and collided with a vehicle ahead.
Chief Minister Expresses Grief
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the incident, extended condolences to the families of the deceased, and directed officials to expedite immediate relief operations.
Details of the Accident
According to information received, Shashikant Tiwari (49), a resident of Mahrauni in Lalitpur district, went to Ayodhya for darshan with his family members. They were returning in an SUV after the darshan when, at around 6 AM on Monday, as the vehicle approached Jolhupur turn in the Kalpi area, the driver suddenly dozed off, causing the SUV to veer out of control and hit the vehicle in front.
Police said the impact was severe, and four people died on the spot. Two others died during treatment at the hospital. Four people were seriously injured and were immediately hospitalised, where treatment continued.
Rescue Operation
It was reported that rescuers made considerable efforts to pull the injured from the wreckage. Some of the injured remained trapped in the car for nearly an hour and were rescued with the help of local residents and police. A total of 10 people were travelling in the car, reported to include Shashikant Tiwari, Krishnakant, Deepak Tiwari, Harimohan Tiwari, Bhushan Tiwari, Anshul Tiwari, Swami Prasad Tiwari, Manoj and Deshraj. All were reported to be members of the same family.
Local residents informed the police, following which Kalpi Kotwali police reached the spot, took possession of the bodies and sent them for post-mortem.
Cause of Accident
Initial police investigation revealed that the accident was caused by the driver dozing off. The passengers had not worn seat belts, due to which the airbags also did not deploy, which was cited as the reason six lives were lost in the accident.
Identification of Victims
District Magistrate Rajesh Kumar Pandey said the identities of two of the deceased were established so far. He said the names of the persons present in the car were obtained, but it was not yet ascertained who among them were the deceased. He said correct identification of the deceased would only be possible after the family members arrived.
The District Magistrate said four seriously injured persons were undergoing treatment at the medical college and would be referred to a higher centre if required. He said the administration continuously monitored the situation and awaited the arrival of family members so that identification of the deceased could be ascertained.
