Eight dead as bus hits water tanker on Agra-Lucknow Expressway

Kannauj (UP): Eight people died and 19 were injured when their bus overturned after colliding with a water tanker irrigating plants along the Agra-Lucknow Expressway here on Friday, police said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the incident and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PMNRF for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

The accident occurred around 2 pm in the Sakrawa area here when the bus was on its way to Delhi from Lucknow, Kannauj Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Anand said.

"Eight passengers died in the accident and over a dozen injured passengers are receiving treatment at the Saifai Medical College near Etawah district," he said.

The passengers who were not injured have been sent to their destinations in another bus, he added.

Those killed have been identified as Dharmendra Vashney (53), his wife Bobby (45), Gireesh Yadav (52), Rahul (26), Puran (40), Rishi Yadav (24), Akal Jot Singh (24), Prem Singh (37).

Police also said that 19 passengers were injured.

State Minister for Jal Shakti Swatantra Dev Singh, who was passing by at the time of the accident, stopped his convoy to help rescue the injured and ensure their transportation to the hospital.

"Senior police and administrative officials have reached the spot and they have been instructed to provide the best medical treatment to the injured," Singh told PTI.

"It's an unfortunate incident. We need to be more careful on roads and adhere to traffic rules and safety measures," he added.

Citing his interaction with the injured passengers, the minister said the bus driver was apparently drowsy and that may have led to the accident.

Prime Minister Modi, in a post on X, said, "Saddened by the loss of lives in the bus accident in Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF will be given to the next of kin of each deceased, and the injured will receive Rs 50,000."

Samajwadi Party president and Kannauj Lok Sabha MP Akhilesh Yadav expressed grief over the loss of lives and described the fatal bus accident as "extremely sad". He also held the BJP government responsible for such accidents.

"Just a few days ago, considering the issue of 'road safety' serious, I said on the basis of my experience that in the absence of proper maintenance, travelling cannot be fast and safe. The BJP government has animosity towards the roads built by the previous government and deliberately neglects them for which the common people have to pay the price with their lives," he posted on X.

"The root cause of most accidents under the BJP government is corruption from top to bottom -- in PWD, police, traffic police and RTO -- and the problem of stray animals. Why doesn't the government find a solution so that such accidents can be avoided," he said.

On November 27, five people, including three doctors, were killed here after their SUV hit a divider on the expressway, crossed over to the other carriageway and collided with an oncoming truck.

Police had said that all five victims were affiliated with the Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences in Saifai, Etawah.