6 killed as truck runs over bystanders in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri

A big crowd gathered on the roadside to watch the spot where a car and a scooty collided on Bahraich road in Pangi village. They were mowed down by the speeding truck which left five dead. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of lives.

Lakhimpur Kheri (UP): At least six persons were killed and 15 others seriously injured when a speeding truck ran over bystanders in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri on Saturday night, sources said. The accident happened when the killer truck ploughed into bystanders, mostly villagers, who gathered on the roadside following collision of car-scooty collision near Pangi village on the Kheri-Bharaich highway.

The deceased were identified as Rizwan (20), Karan (14), Paras Nishad (84), Karunesh Verma (30), Virendra Verma and Jang Bahadur (17), all residents of Pangi Khurd village in Lakhimpur Kheri. Superintendent of Police Ganesh Prasad Saha along with other police officials rushed to the spot and monitored the operations to rescue the victims.

The SP told reporters that prior to the ramming mishap, there was a collision between a car and a scooty on Bahraich road in Pangi village under the jurisdiction of Rajapur police station. Following this, some people gathered on the road. Meanwhile, the speeding truck lost control and mowed down several bystanders, killing five people in the accident.

According to police officials, a car going towards Bahraich on Pilibhit Basti road near Pangi Khurd village hit a scooty coming in opposite direction at around 7:30 pm in which the scooty rider sustained injuries. After this, a crowd gathered on the spot, most of whom were residents of the village. The speeding truck coming from Bahrain ran over the crowd and fell into a ditch. The injured were rushed to the district hospital for treatment.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the loss of lives, and has directed officials to ensure proper treatment of the injured persons, the CMO said in a tweet in Hindi. District Magistrate Mahendra Bahadur Singh, Chief Development Officer (C.D.O) Anil Kumar Singh, and SP Ganesh Prasad Saha have taken cognisance of the matter and further identification of the injured is underway.