7 of family crushed to death as overloaded dumper overturns on car in Saharanpur

Just a kilometre from their home, their car had barely reached the expressway when a speeding dumper coming from the Dehradun side toppled onto it

Seven members of the same family, including a four-year-old child, were killed after an overloaded dumper lost control and overturned onto their car on the Delhi–Dehradun Expressway near Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur.

The dumper, loaded with gravel, spilled its entire load onto the car, completely crushing it. (Representative file photo)

According to police, the family from Sayyad Majra village was on its way to Gangoh to attend a funeral. Just a kilometre from their home, their car had barely reached the expressway when a speeding dumper coming from the Dehradun side toppled onto it.

The dumper, loaded with gravel, spilled its entire load onto the car, completely crushing it.

Eyewitnesses recounted that the car suddenly came in front of the dumper.

Three cranes were brought in to lift the dumper, and locals and officials spent hours removing the gravel. By the time rescuers cut open the roof of the car, the passengers had suffered fatal injuries.

SP City Vyom Bindal confirmed that seven bodies were recovered from the crushed vehicle and sent for post-mortem.

“Efforts are being made to arrest the absconding driver,” he said.

Following the accident, enraged villagers staged a road blockade demanding financial assistance and relief from the Chief Minister’s Fund.

ADM Santosh Bahadur Singh said authorities assured the crowd that their demands would be conveyed to the higher authorities, after which the road was cleared.

Minister of state Jaswant Saini said the victims’ families would be provided benefits under the Farmers’ Accident Insurance Scheme and assured maximum possible support. He added that action would be taken if the dumper was involved in illegal mining operations.