18 killed after truck rams into stationary bus in UP, PM announces ex-gratia
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Barabanki (Uttar Pradesh): As many as 18 people were killed after a bus was hit by a speeding truck in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki in the wee hours on Wednesday.
The accident was reported at the Lucknow-Ayodhya National Highway under the Ram Sanehighat police circle, where the double-decker bus was parked at the roadside following a breakdown.
As per reports, fifteen persons have been seriously injured and have been referred to the Trauma Centre in Lucknow. The bus was going from Haryana to Bihar.
Most of the bus passengers had got down from the bus and were sleeping on the roadside when the accident took place.
"Following the accident, the district administration and the police launched a probe into the matter and is ensuring that the injured receive the best medical treatment that's available," Satya Narayan Sibath, a senior police official said.
Due to heavy rains and poor visibility, a truck coming from Lucknow at a high speed hit the bus. The collision was so strong that most of them died on the spot.
"We were around 130 people who left from a bus stop near Haryana's Ambala for Bihar... At around 8 pm, the bus broke down and the driver informed us that the repair work will take time. Many of us came out of the bus. A few were sleeping on the road, a few were eating or resting," said Bharat, a survivor.
ADG Zone, Lucknow, S N Sabat confirmed the death toll.
After the accident, the national highway was jammed for five kilometres and officials rushed to the spot to rescue the victims and also clear the highway.
Among the deceased, Suresh Yadav, Indal Mahto, Sikandar Mukhiya, Monu Sahni, Jagdish Sahni, Jai Bahadur Sahni, Baijnath Ram and Balram have been identified so far.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakhs each from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the tragic accident in Barabanki. The injured would be given Rs 50,000 each, the prime minister's office said on Twitter.