5 Kanwar Yatra pilgrims killed in separate incidents in Delhi, NCR

A pilgrim was electrocuted while eight others were injured when a music system on the vehicle they were in came in contact with a high-tension electricity wire in Ghaziabad’s Loni

Five pilgrims on their way to Haridwar for the annual Kanwar Yatra to fetch the Ganga waters were killed in separate incidents in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) late on Wednesday and early hours of Thursday.

The Siraspur accident scene. (Sourced)

A pilgrim identified as Gaurav Singh, 25, was electrocuted while eight others were injured when a music system on the vehicle they were in came in contact with a high-tension electricity wire in Ghaziabad’s Loni. Hours later, four pilgrims were killed after a speeding truck jumped a divider at Siraspur on GT Karnal Road and crashed into another truck in outer Delhi. The driver of the speeding truck fled the scene leaving behind his vehicle.

Deputy police commissioner Ravi Kumar Singh said that their control room was informed about the Siraspur accident at 12.44am. He added many people died on the spot. Singh said one of the two trucks involved in the accident was carrying Kanwar Yatra pilgrims from Nangloi to Haridwar.

“From the spot inquiry, it was found that the other truck going towards Delhi jumped the central verge of the highway and crashed into the truck carrying kanwariyas [pilgrims] on the opposite carriageway. The impact of the collision was such as at least 19 kanwariyas out of 20-23 were injured. A total of 14 injured were rushed to Satyawadi Raha Harish Chandra Hospital at Narela, where four of them were declared brought dead.”

He added other injured people were referred to hospitals in Paschim Vihar and Jahangirpuri. Singh said the accident caused a traffic jam before the movement of vehicles was fully restored by removing the damaged trucks.

Ghaziabad Police said they were informed about the electrocution around 10.30pm on Wednesday and that eight injured pilgrims were rushed to two different hospitals. “A truck mounted with a big music system was getting readied to go to Haridwar from Loni. In between, a vehicle passed by...the truck driver to evade the vehicle turned it other way and the music system touched the electricity cables. ...nine people suffered shock and one succumbed on the spot,” said assistant police commissioner (Loni) Rajneesh Kumar Upadhyaya.

Jaivir Singh, a local resident, said the vehicle the truck tried to evade was carrying LPG cylinders. “...two other vehicles carrying the pilgrims had already left Loni. This was the last one to depart.”

Upadhyaya said an additional police force was deployed in Loni to maintain law and order even as no untoward happened after the electrocution. “Despite our repeated requests, the injured or the victim’s family has not given us any police complaint so far.”

Shiva devotees undertake the annual Kanwar Yatra to fetch the holy waters of the Ganga from places such as Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Gomukh.