4 killed as ambulance carrying soldier’s body rams into truck in UP’s Sultanpur

The victims included the soldier’s 18-year-old son, brother and a relative, while the ambulance driver also died in the crash near Haliyapur.

A total of four people, including the son, brother and nephew of a deceased Army man, were killed when an ambulance carrying the soldier’s body rammed into a stationary truck on the Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur district on Sunday morning, police said.

The ambulance was transporting Subedar Major Satyawan Singh’s body from Panchkula to his native village in Deoria. (PTI)

According to police, the accident occurred around 8.15 am near Haliyapur on the Ayodhya-Sultanpur border.

The ambulance was carrying the body of Subedar Major Satyawan Singh from Haryana’s Panchkula district to his village in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district when it crashed into the truck from behind.

Chief minister announced ex gratia

Taking cognisance of the accident, chief minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and announced ₹2 lakh ex gratia each for next of kin of the deceased. He directed officials to expedite relief and rescue operations and ensure proper treatment of the injured. The chief minister also asked officials to speak to the families of the deceased and provide them all possible assistance and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

The deceased were identified as Satyawan Singh’s 18-year-old son Gaurav Singh, his 55-year-old brother Ram Samujh, a relative’s son Rajan Singh, 35, and ambulance driver Jaspal, 30, police said.

The impact was so severe that the front portion of the ambulance was completely mangled. Gaurav and Jaspal, who were seated in the front, died on the spot, police said, adding that Ram Samujh and Rajan, who were seated at the rear, were taken to a government hospital in Ayodhya where they succumbed to injuries during treatment.

Soldier had died after kidney transplant treatment

Sultanpur DM Indrajeet Singh said: “Satyawan Singh, from Deoria, had been undergoing treatment at the Command Hospital in Chandigarh and had undergone a kidney transplant. He died three days ago, following which his relatives travelled to Panchkula to bring his body home.” The DM said that three members of the family and the ambulance driver died in Sunday’s accident.

Sultanpur SP Vineet Jaiswal said police received information about the accident through Dial 112. “Local police are at the spot and further action is underway,” he said.

Driver may have dozed off, police say

Police said the initial investigation suggested that the ambulance driver may have dozed off, causing the vehicle to go out of control and crash into the truck.

The body of Subedar Major Satyawan Singh has been kept with due respect at Haliyapur police station pending further arrangements.

The bodies of the four accident victims have been sent for post-mortem examination, police said.