Four people, including two children, were killed and 11 others injured after a tractor-trolley carrying devotees returning from a Diwali fair overturned into a roadside ditch in Chitrakoot district in the early hours of Monday, officials said.
According to reports, the accident occurred around 2.30 am near a canal in Ramnagar town, under the jurisdiction of Raipura police station in Mau tehsil, around 40 km from the district headquarters. The devotees were returning after lighting lamps and offering prayers at the Diwali fair in Chitrakoot when the coupling hook connecting the trolley to the tractor suddenly came loose, causing the trolley to overturn.
Chitrakoot district magistrate Pulkit Garg confirmed that four people had died in the accident while 11 others were injured. The injured were taken to a community health centre for treatment, while those in critical condition were referred to Prayagraj.
According to preliminary information, around 25 people from Rewa district in Madhya Pradesh and Prayagraj district in Uttar Pradesh had travelled to Chitrakoot for the Diwali celebrations. Five people were travelling on the tractor, while around 20, including children, were seated in the trolley.
The coupling hook reportedly came off near the canal in Ramnagar, allowing the tractor to move ahead by nearly 50 metres while the detached trolley went out of control and overturned into a roadside ditch. The passengers were thrown underneath the trolley and trapped, officials said.
{{/usCountry}}The coupling hook reportedly came off near the canal in Ramnagar, allowing the tractor to move ahead by nearly 50 metres while the detached trolley went out of control and overturned into a roadside ditch. The passengers were thrown underneath the trolley and trapped, officials said.
{{/usCountry}}The accident triggered panic, with cries for help drawing the attention of local residents. Some injured women managed to crawl out and reach a nearby residential settlement, where they raised an alarm and sought help. Villagers rushed to the spot, pulled out those trapped beneath the overturned trolley and informed the police.
Raipura police, led by station house officer Ram Singh, along with the Rajapur circle officer, reached the spot and coordinated the rescue operation. All the injured were taken to the Ramnagar community health centre (CHC), where doctors declared four people, including two children, dead.
The deceased were identified as Shiva, 7, a resident of Majhigawan village under Chakghat police station in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, and Triveni, 40, Nanhe, 6, and Radhe Krishna, 52, all residents of Unchgaon in Prayagraj district.
Five of the injured, who were reported to be in critical condition, were referred to Prayagraj for advanced treatment.
District magistrate Pulkit Garg and superintendent of police Arun Kumar Singh visited the accident site, while chief medical officer Mahendra Tripathi reached the CHC to take stock of the treatment being provided to the injured.
Police sent the bodies for the post-mortem examination. An investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the detachment of the trolley from the tractor, officials said.