Bhind, Aug 18: Eight labourers from UP were killed, while 32 others injured after their pickup vehicle collided with a dumper truck in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district early Tuesday, police said.
The accident occurred around 1 am near Chhimka village on the Bhind-Gwalior National Highway, when the labourers were returning to their village in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district after completing paddy transplantation work in Gwalior, they said.
Preliminary investigations suggested that the driver of the labourers’ vehicle lost control while trying to avoid cattle sitting on the highway.
The vehicle veered into the wrong direction and collided head-on with a dumper truck coming from the opposite direction, Gohad Chauraha police station in-charge Ramnaresh Yadav said.
The impact badly damaged the vehicle, trapping several labourers inside, he said. Among the eight killed, five died on the spot, while three succumbed to injuries en route to the hospital. Thirty-two others were injured, the officer said.
Police rushed to the spot after being alerted and, with the help of locals, rescued the workers trapped inside the vehicle.
All the injured were taken to a hospital in Gohad, where they were provided first aid. Those seriously injured were referred to Gwalior for further treatment, police said.
Kheri Superintendent of Police Khyati Garg confirmed the eight deaths and expressed grief over the accident.
She told PTI that all eight of the deceased had been identified. They are Updesh, Amar Singh, Sukhdev, Rajneesh, Bhure Lal – all residents of Bela Tursiya village in the Mohammadi area and aged between 30 and 45 years – Subhash (30) of Harna Neoli village, Guddu (45) of Kishanpur Ajit village, and Madan Pal from Shahjahanpur district.
Ankit, son of Bela Tursiya village head Sarla Devi, told PTI that family members of several victims had reached Bhind after receiving the tragic news. He added that the arrival of the dead bodies as well as of some of the injured were expected late Tuesday night.
Ankit said Bela Tursiya village had been worst hit by the tragedy as five among the eight deceased and 11 among the injured belonged to the village.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the accident and announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of the deceased.
In a post on X in Hindi, Yogi Adityanath said, “The loss of lives in the unfortunate accident in Bhind, Madhya Pradesh, is deeply distressing and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families.”
He said officials had been directed to coordinate with the Madhya Pradesh government to ensure the mortal remains of the Uttar Pradesh residents killed in the accident were transported to their home districts and handed over to their families, besides arranging proper medical treatment for the injured. (PTI)
