A tragic road accident claimed the lives of two people and left 10 others injured when a mini-bus carrying pilgrims from Varanasi to Ayodhya collided with a trailer on the Varanasi-Sultanpur highway, police said on Thursday. The accident occurred around 2 am near Chak Mirzapur village in the Baksha police station area. According to officials, the pilgrims were from Punjab and were en route to Ayodhya when the crash took place.
The deceased have been identified as Tarkeshwar Singh (37), the mini-bus driver, and Hardayal Chand (70). The injured passengers were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. "The 24-seater mini-bus was carrying pilgrims from Varanasi to Ayodhya when it rammed into the rear of a trailer while attempting to overtake it. The impact of the collision was so severe that the driver was trapped inside the vehicle. By the time police arrived and began the rescue operation, both the driver and the passenger had succumbed to their injuries," Circle Officer (CO) Sadar Devesh Singh said.
Police reached at spot
Following the accident, panic ensued at the scene, with passengers crying for help. Baksha Station House Officer (SHO) Pradeep Kumar Singh, along with his team, rushed to the spot and informed senior officials.
Shortly afterward, the Line Bazar Inspector also reached the location and initiated a rescue operation. Several passengers were trapped inside the vehicle and officials used heavy machinery to extract them. A JCB machine was brought in to clear the wreckage and restore traffic movement on the highway.
Victims belonged to Punjab
Among the injured are Madhu, wife of Ved Prakash, a resident of Gothal Road, Jathia Mohalla, Fazilka, Punjab, and Kamlesh, a resident of Badal Colony in the Fazilka police station area. Others include Suntra Devi and Kanil from Jodhpur Colony in Muktsar, Punjab, Rajkumar from Dinda Colony in the Fazilka police station area, and Veerpal from Tilak Nagar, Garji, Muktsar. Komal, a resident of Badal Colony in Fazilka, along with Sunita Rani and Kamlesh Rani from Tilak Nagar in Muktsar, and Rajkumar from Badal Colony, Fazilka, also sustained serious injuries.
(With PTI inputs)