Eight people died and over 19 were injured on Friday afternoon after a double decker sleeper bus collided with a water tanker in the Lucknow-Agra Expressway near Uttar Pradesh's Kanauj area. The bus fell into a ditch after it collided with a UPDA water sprinkling tanker going ahead and overturned. The accident occured as the bus was on its way to Delhi carrying passengers from Lucknow, most of whom were travelling for employement. Reportedly, the bus driver was drowsy while he was driving due to which the collision took place.
Immediately after the accident, Jal Shakti Minister Swatantradev Singh, who was travelling by the same way, stopped his convoy and aided in rescuing the injured out of the bus. He informed the senior officials of the district including UPDA about the accident. “Senior police and administrative officials have reached the spot and they have been instructed to provide the best of medical treatment to the injured," Singh told PTI.
"It’s an unfortunate incident. e need to be more careful on roads and adhere to traffic rules, safety measures," Singh said.
The accident took place near Mishrabad village on the Auraiya border of Sakrava police station area of Kannauj. Villagers crowded near the accident spot. The Kannauj Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Anand informed that eight people lost their lives and over 19 passengers have been injured.
Kannauj District Magistrate Shubhrant Kumar Shukla, SP Amit Kumar Anand and Tirwa MLA Kailash Rajput reached the spot and helped to take the injured to the hospital.
Other passengers, who were not injured, were sent to their destinations in another bus, the police said.
Centre announces compensation:
The Central government announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased in the accident. Rs 50,000will be given to those who have been injured.
Expressing his grief over the loss of lives, Prime Minister's office in a posted, "Saddened by the loss of lives in the bus accident in Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected."
