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Six killed, seven injured in Yamuna Expressway bus-van accident; 4 children hurt
According to the police, the impact was so severe that the van was flung nearly 10 feet off the road, with its rear portion completely crushed.
Six people from Rajasthan were killed and seven others, including four children, were injured after a private double-decker bus rammed into a moving van on the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district early Tuesday, the police said.
Superintendent of police Chiranjeev Nath Sinha said the accident occurred when the bus driver was attempting to overtake the Eeco van. He added that the bus driver, the conductor and another individual have been detained for questioning. The bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem examination, while the injured have been referred to SN Medical College in Agra for treatment.
Hathras additional superintendent of police (ASP) RP Kushwaha said the accident took place around 4am near milestone 141, close to Garhi Hariya village under Sadabad police station limits. The bus was travelling from Delhi to Gorakhpur, while the van was heading from Delhi to Rajakhera in Dholpur district of Rajasthan. All 13 occupants of the van were residents of Dholpur and were returning home to celebrate Holi.
According to the police, the impact was so severe that the van was flung nearly 10 feet off the road, with its rear portion completely crushed. The front section of the bus was also damaged, though its passengers escaped unhurt.
The ASP said four of the deceased have been identified as Dinesh Singh (50), his wife Sunita (48), Vijay Baghel (27) and his wife Pinki Baghel (26), all residents of Gangoli village in Rajakhera, Dholpur district. The identities of the two other victims are yet to be confirmed.
The injured have been identified as van driver Virendra; Manoj; Aryan (8) and Anshu (6), sons of Ajay; one-year-old Lakshya and three-year-old Prachi, children of deceased Vijay; and Poonam Baghel (15).
Police and administrative officials rushed to the scene soon after the accident. The injured were initially taken to Khandauli Community Health Centre, from where three critically injured persons were referred to hospitals in Agra for advanced treatment.
The crash triggered panic at the site and led to a long traffic jam on the expressway. Preliminary investigation suggests that overspeeding and negligence may have caused the accident. The bus driver is being questioned, police said, adding that further legal proceedings are underway.
