At least seven people including 2 children were killed while five others injured when a speeding wheat ladden truck turned turtle in Usava area of the district on late Monday night, police said on Tuesday.
The speeding truck, loaded with wheat sacks, was coming from Badaun when the incident occurred at the Haraura crossing. While making a turn, the driver lost control of the vehicle and it toppled over a small tea shop. Some people, including kanwariyas, were standing at the shop and got trapped under the truck.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ashok Kumar Tripathi said that the the truck was on a high speed and to avoid some animal, applied the break leading to overturning of his vehicle on a road side tea stall of one Sompal on Hazratpur- Mayu road. He said that a JCB was pressed in service to remove the truck and rescue the trapped people.
Among the deceased were some Kanwarias who were yet to be identified. The only two deceased children were identified ,who are Kajal( 5) and Nandini(2), both granddaughters of Sompal. Inprotest against the accident, irate villagers tried to torch the truck but timely intervention of the police prevented them. The driver of the truck has been arrested while the injured were being treated at the hospital.
Meanwhile Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed his grief over the death of people in the accident and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the family of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured along with free treatment.
