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Sand-laden truck overturns on two huts, kills eight of family
Eight family members, including four minors, killed in a tragic accident on Katra-Bilhaur highway in Hardoi district. One child severely injured.
Eight members of a family, including four minors, were killed when a speeding sand-laden truck overturned on two makeshift huts built alongside Katra-Bilhaur highway, under Mallawa police station limits of Hardoi district in the early hours of Wednesday, senior police officials said, adding the accident left a child severely injured.
Police officials said the bodies of all eight victims were pulled out of the sand.
Superintendent of police Keshav Chadra Goswami was quoted as saying by PTI that all the victims were buried alive under the sand.
Taking cognisance of the incident, chief minister Yogi Adityanath instructed the district authorities to provide all necessary help to the injured.
The incident reportedly took place on a road connecting Kanpur and Hardoi district headquarters, which is around 50 km from the spot. Hardoi district magistrate Mangla Prasad said among the deceased were Awadhesh (45), his wife Sudha (42), their eldest daughter Hero (22) and Hero’s husband Karan (24). The remaining victims were children aged between four and 11 years.
An eyewitness, Anurag said the family was from nomadic tribe Nat and that the incident took place around 1.30 am. When he reached the site, he saw the truck had toppled over the two huts.
“While we informed the police immediately, an earthmover was brought to the site around 30 minutes after the incident. All the people were dead, except for a girl, were killed. The girl survived, but was injured in one of her legs, as she was sleeping outside the huts,” he said.
A police official said the truck driver had been arrested and the vehicle was seized for further legal proceedings. With PTI inputs
