UP's Pratapgarh road accident: Visuals show a crumpled SUV being pulled out from the back of a truck
Fourteen people, including six children, died in a tragic road accident in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh after their car rammed a truck on the highway late on Thursday.
All the occupants of the SUV died in the crash and several others have been injured. The accident occured around 11.45pm on Thursday on the Prayagraj-Lucknow highway near Deshraj Inara village.
Visuals from the accident show a crumpled Mahindra Bolero being pulled out from the back of the truck.
Pratapgarh Superintendent of Police (SP) Anurag Arya said the truck had been parked at the side of the highway due to a punctured tyre when the SUV rammed it from behind. Half of the car was pulled out in a mangled state from under the truck later by police officials, he said.
All victims were returning home to their village in Kunda in the district after attending a wedding in Nawabganj, the police official said, adding that all help has been assured to the families of the victims.
Five bodies were recovered soon after the crash whereas the rest of the bodies were pulled out after the car was retrieved from under the truck. It took almost two hours to recover the car from under the truck.
The children who died in the crash were all aged between 7 and 15, the official said. The eight other victims were all men aged between 20 and 60.
"We have spoken to the families of the victims and the heads of their villages and assured them all possible help," SP Arya added.
"All the bodies will be sent for post-mortem examination on Friday," the police officer said, adding that efforts are being made to contact the owners of the both the SUV and the truck.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the family of the victims. He had also extended his condolences and had directed senior officials to reach the spot and provide all possible help, his office was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.