17 killed as bus rams into divider
State announces ₹2L compensation, most victims were daily wage workers returning home for Eid from Jaipur
At least 17 people were killed and two dozen others injured in Mainpuri district on Wednesday when a private tourist bus lost control and rammed into a road divider, police said.
The private Volvo bus was travelling from Rajasthan’s Jaipur to Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh when the accident occurred near Kiratpur village at 5am.
Mainpuri district magistrate Pradeep Kumar confirmed the death of 17 passengers, and said 24 people were injured. Three of the victims sustained severe injuries and were shifted to Saifai medical college in Etawah district, one of whom died during treatment. Other injured passengers were admitted to Mainpuri district hospital.
“Most of the passengers were sleeping when the accident took place,” he added.
Police also said that most of them were daily wagers working in Jaipur and were heading home for Eid.
UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath condoled the deaths and asked the administration to provide appropriate medical treatment to the injured passengers. He also announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each to the family of the deceased and ₹50,000 to those seriously injured in the accident.
Ajay Shankar Rai, SP, Mainpuri, said the bus was carrying 60-70 passengers.
Senior police officials from Mainpuri reached the accident spot and cranes were pressed into action to lift the bus, which turned turtle in the accident.
Some passengers said the driver was speeding and that many of the deceased were passengers travelling on the roof. The driver, who is yet to be identified, lost his leg and was admitted to Saifai medical college.
SP patriarch and former MP from Mainpuri Mulayam Singh Yadav visited the hospital to meet the injured people.
PM Narendra Modi condoled the deaths and hoped for the early recovery of the injured. “My condolences to families of those who lost their lives in a tragic accident in Mainpuri, UP. I hope those who are injured recover at the earliest,” the PMO tweeted quoting him.