E-Paper
One dead, eight injured in auto-car collision on Varanasi-Lucknow highway in Pratapgarh
The accident occurred when an auto-rickshaw and a car collided head-on during an overtaking attempt.
A 57-year-old man died and eight others were injured in a collision between an auto-rickshaw and a car on the Varanasi-Lucknow Highway near the Babhanmai intersection in Pratapgarh’s Raniganj area on Tuesday afternoon.
The accident occurred when an auto-rickshaw and a car collided head-on during an overtaking attempt. The impact was so intense that all auto passengers were flung onto the road. According to Raniganj SHO Prabhat Kumar, the heavily damaged car was abandoned as its occupants fled the scene in another vehicle.
The deceased was identified as Umashankar, a resident of Rohkhurd Kala under the Fatanpur police station. One of his legs was severed in the accident. Two of the injured were taken to Raniganj Trauma Centre, while others were rushed to the local medical college and later referred to Prayagraj for further treatment, he added.
The auto-rickshaw, driven by Mohammad Sagir from Pacharas in Raniganj, belonged to Nisar from Dandupur. At the time of the accident, it was carrying several passengers: Nisar’s 35-year-old wife Shaheen, 26-year-old Pooja from Singahi, 28-year-old Gangadevi from Babhanmai, 32-year-old Neelam—wife of Anand Pandey, a Quality Coordinator at BRC Raniganj—35-year-old Sarita from Soraon in Prayagraj, her 9-year-old son Abhishek, 60-year-old Lallu Prajapati from Durgaganj, and Umashankar. The group was returning from the district headquarters when the accident occurred around 3.30 pm.
The sound of the crash drew nearby pedestrians and shopkeepers, who quickly began rescue efforts. They pulled the injured from the mangled auto and moved them to safety. Local residents also helped transport the wounded to hospitals.
The collision brought traffic on the highway to a standstill, with many passersby stopping to assist. Police later arrived and took control of the situation.
