Varanasi: At least eight persons were killed and five others injured in two separate road accidents in Uttar Pradesh's Mau and Sonbhadra districts on Saturday. In Mau, five people, including a couple and their son who were returning after their daughter's wedding in Ranchi, lost their lives. In Sonbhadra, three persons died and five sustained injuries in another accident.
Mau accident
Mau ASP Anup Kumar said that around 2.30 am, a speeding SUV veered off its lane onto the divider near Basaratpur under Doharighat police station. After jumping into the opposite lane, the SUV collided with a trailer. All five occupants of the SUV died on the spot. Primary investigation revealed that the accident occurred due to the driver falling asleep at the wheel.
The deceased were identified as Vinay Srivastava, 53, of Kushinagar, his wife Archana Srivastava, 48, and their son Kritarth Srivastava, 27, along with Ravindra Yadav, 20, and Purushottam Kumar, 28, of Gaya in Bihar. The victims were returning after the wedding of Vinay's daughter Mimansa in Ranchi.
Sonbhadra accident
In Sonbhadra, an SUV carrying eight people was heading to Robertsganj when it overturned near Lodi Chowki. CO (city) Randhir Mishra said the injured were rushed to a hospital, where three of them were declared dead. The victims were returning home after attending a wedding ceremony in the Raipur area.
The deceased were identified as Dilip Paswan, 20, Niteesh Yadav, 27, and Jitendra Sahni, 18. Mishra said the accident occurred when the driver dozed off at the wheel.
Both accidents highlight the dangers of driver fatigue on long journeys, especially during the wedding season when many families travel late at night. Authorities have urged drivers to take adequate rest before driving.
