Six people were killed and two others seriously injured after an Omni van collided head-on with a trailer truck on the Hata-Pipraich road in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, police said. The crash occurred around 12.15 am near Tharuadih Hanuman temple under Hata police station limits in the intervening night of Sunday and Monday.
The van, carrying eight people including the driver, was travelling from Hata towards Kaptanganj after the occupants attended a relative’s tilak ceremony. The trailer was travelling from Ahirauli Bazaar towards Hata when the two vehicles collided. The impact crushed the front of the van and pushed the damage towards the rear seats, trapping all eight occupants inside.
Rescue personnel used gas cutters to cut open the van and remove the occupants. Six people died at the spot, while the two injured were first taken to the Community Health Centre in Hata. They were later referred to BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur for advanced treatment. The trailer cabin was also badly damaged and twisted, and the truck reportedly veered off the road after the collision.
Police identified the deceased as Mridul Mishra, 38; Kanhaiya Prasad, 45; Mithilesh Gupta, 22; Ranjay Gupta, 38; Ram Milan, 38; and Ramvilas, 68. All six were residents of Bhaluhi village under Kaptanganj police station limits. Kanhaiya Prasad was the representative of the village head in Bhaluhi gram panchayat. Ram Milan was his younger brother and Ramvilas was their father.
Ranjay Gupta was serving in the Central Reserve Police Force and was reportedly posted in Chhattisgarh. He had returned home on leave for Dussehra and was scheduled to return to duty on November 5. The two injured people were identified as Ayush, 14, and Aryan, 19, both sons of Ram Milan.
Superintendent of Police, Kushinagar, Keshav Kumar, said the van driver was prima facie found to be in an inebriated condition. He added that the trailer driver had been traced and would be arrested soon. Police took both vehicles into custody and moved them to a secure location. The six bodies were sent to the district mortuary for post-mortem examination.
Kushinagar Police said no written complaint had been received when the statement was issued and that further legal action would begin after a complaint was filed. Police also said the situation at the accident site was under control and there was no law-and-order problem.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the crash and directed officials to reach the site, expedite rescue and relief operations, contact the families of the deceased and ensure assistance. He also instructed authorities to provide proper medical treatment to the injured. Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the collision.
