At least six people, including a Bihar Police sub-inspector and a prisoner in police custody, were killed when a double-decker AC bus overturned on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district early Tuesday morning, police said.
The accident occurred around 5am near milestone 262 when the Delhi-to-Bihar bus reportedly went out of control and overturned along the roadside railing.
According to a preliminary police investigation, the driver is suspected to have dozed off, leading to the crash.
Eyewitnesses said the bus was moving at high speed before the driver suddenly lost control. The vehicle hit the divider and overturned, leaving several passengers trapped and some thrown out through the windows onto the roadside slope below the expressway. One passenger’s leg was severed in the impact, officials said.
The deceased were identified as Bihar Police sub-inspector Ramchandra Ram (59), posted at Siwan Police Lines, and prisoner Chhatarpal Singh Tomar (59), a resident of Gurugram. Four other victims were yet to be identified till the filing of this report.
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Police said a Siwan Police team had taken the prisoner to Gurugram for a court appearance on May 24 and was returning when the accident occurred. Three policemen were among the injured. Around 30 passengers were travelling in the bus.
Following the accident, police and rescue teams rushed to the spot and launched relief operations. Around 27 injured passengers were shifted to a nearby community health centre with the help of multiple ambulances.
Doctors declared six passengers dead, while around 20 seriously injured persons were later referred to KGMU Trauma Centre in Lucknow for advanced treatment. One woman was discharged after first aid.
Most passengers were reportedly residents of Basti, Siddharthnagar and Gorakhpur districts. The accident disrupted traffic on the expressway for nearly half an hour, causing a long traffic jam.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident and expressed grief over the loss of lives. He directed officials to intensify relief and rescue operations, ensure proper medical treatment for the injured and provide compensation to the families of the deceased.
