Seven killed in accident on Yamuna e-way
As many as seven people were killed in an accident on the Yamuna Expressway in Mathura district on Tuesday night. Police said the vehicle in which they were travelling came under an out-of-control oil tanker.
“The accident took place at about 11pm. The vehicle with six passengers and a driver was travelling to Noida. The tanker was travelling to Agra on the other carriageway. Both were separated by a divider,” said Mathura superintendent of police (rural) Sirish Chand.
The truck driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle after a tyre burst, causing it to jump the divider and collide with the passenger vehicle, reported by PTI to be an SUV.
The collision killed all seven occupants of the vehicle on the spot, said police. The driver and cleaner of the tanker fled the spot, they added.
Police identified the victims by their first name as couple Manoj (47) and Babita (40), their sons (one 18-year-old and the other 16), and their two juvenile relatives. Their driver, 39-year-old Rakesh, was also killed. They were all residents of Haryana’s Jind district.
“The accident took place at 68 Milestone under the Naujheel police station limits of Mathura district,” said the police officer.
Some people injured in the collision are undergoing treatment at hospital, according to PTI that quoted the local police.
Police said the bodies were sent for an autopsy and their relatives were informed.
News agency PTI reported that normal traffic was restored on the route after the damaged vehicles were cleared off the expressway and the oil spillage from the oil tanker was cleaned by the fire department.
“Officials from the nearby oil refinery were also called in to inspect the situation for any preventive action,” it quoted Mathura Senior Superintendent
of Police (SSP) Gaurav Grover.
“Administrative officials have been instructed to provide all possible relief to the victims by staying at the incident spot and providing proper treatment to the injured,” tweeted chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
Following the accident, the Yamuna Expressway industrial development authority (Yeida) filed a police complaint against the expressway operator Jaypee Infratech Limited (JIL) and its national company law tribunal (NCLT) appointed resolution professional.
According to the Yamuna Expressway industrial development authority, 88 accidents took place in January 2021, and many fatalities had been reported previously as well.
The authority argued that JIL, which was awarded the contract to monitor the Expressway, failed in ensuring safety of motorists.
Jain, it said, was responsible for ensuring that the company’s funds were used to meet obligations.“based on a Supreme Court appointed committee we had hired the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, to conduct a safety audit in 2018 to reduce accidents. It suggested multiple measures such as crash barriers and CCTV cameras, among others. But Anuj Jain and JIL did not do that despite repeated notices. We have filed an FIR against them,” said Yeida chief executive officer (CEO) Arun Vir Singh. “If the operator had installed the crash barriers, then it would have saved the seven lives,” he added.
Jain refused to comment on the issue. JIL management did not respond to multiple calls and messages requesting comment.
The expressway passes through Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mahtura, Hathras, Agra and Bulandshahr. So far, JIL has installed cameras at just 10 locations. Setting up more cameras and crash barriers was estimated to cost the operator over ₹75 crore.