8 killed, dozens injured as pickup rams container truck in Kaushambi

Eight, including three children, died and many were injured when a speeding pickup truck crashed into a stationary container truck in Kaushambi.

Eight people, including three children, were killed and dozens injured when a speeding pickup truck rammed into a container truck near Dorma village under the Saini Kotwali police station limits in Kaushambi district on Friday.

The accident site in Kaushambi (HT PHOTO)

The victims, who were travelling in the pickup, were returning to Fatehpur from Prayagraj after attending a child’s mundan ceremony held during the Ram Navami festival. Dozens of passengers were injured and were admitted to the hospital by the police, while the bodies of the deceased were sent for postmortem examination.

A total of 30 people were travelling in the vehicle.

Rajan, a resident of Kurouli in Jafarganj, Fatehpur, had taken his family and relatives to the Sangam in Prayagraj on Friday for his son Shubham’s mundan ceremony. By afternoon, over 30 people—including women, children, and the elderly—were returning together in a pickup truck.

As the vehicle reached near a petrol pump in front of Dorma village, it rammed at high speed into the rear of a container truck moving ahead. The impact was so severe that the pickup was completely mangled.

The injured were rushed to the medical college for treatment. Upon receiving information about the accident, teams from Saini Kotwali and nearby police stations rushed to the spot and carried out rescue operations. Superintendent of police Rajesh Kumar also arrived with additional force, while ambulances from across Kaushambi district were deployed for the rescue efforts.

Meanwhile, chief minister Yogi Adityanath sought details of the tragic road accident in Kaushambi and expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the mishap.

The CM also called for a detailed report on the incident and announced financial assistance of ₹2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 each for the injured.

The chief minister also directed senior officials of the local administration to expedite relief and rescue operations, stressing that the injured must receive proper medical care without any negligence.

Senior officers, including Jyoti Narayan and Ajay Mishra, later visited the site and instructed officials to extend all possible assistance to the injured.

IG (Prayagraj range) Ajay Kumar Mishra said a preliminary inquiry indicates that the truck was stationary on the highway, which led to the pickup driver crashing into it.