Gurugram residents among 5 dead as car falls into Ganga canal

As per the preliminary investigation, the vehicle fell into the canal as the driver, Vicky Yadav, 28, fell asleep at the wheel, said Avinash Pandey, superintendent of police, Meerut (rural).

Five persons of a family, including Gurugram residents, died and another five were severely injured in an accident when the Maruti Ertiga they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into the Ganga canal between Bhalsauna and Pooth villages in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh early Saturday.

Five persons of a family, including Gurugram residents, died and another five were severely injured in an accident when the Maruti Ertiga they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into the Ganga canal between Bhalsauna and Pooth villages in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh early Saturday.

The family was on a religious trip to Haridwar. As per the preliminary investigation, the vehicle fell into the canal as the driver, Vicky Yadav, 28, fell asleep at the wheel, said Avinash Pandey, superintendent of police, Meerut (rural).

The incident took place around 4.45am on the Haridwar Road, which is an accident-prone stretch. Police officials said they have written to the district authorities several times, asking for the installation of iron grills on both sides of the road.

One of the deceased was identified as Sandeep Gupta (30),from Pindi village in Deoria district, UP. He owned a garment shop and worked in a private school. Three children, identified as Ashutosh Gupta (5), Ansh Gupta (4) and Anshika Gupta (3), were declared brought-dead to the hospital. Yadav, the driver, a Gurugram resident, also died.

One of the survivors, Devi Prasad Gupta, who works with an automobile company in Gurugram, said he does not remember the incident clearly. Two of his children died in the incident and his wife is yet to be rescued from the canal. “I don’t know how we met with the accident. When I opened my eyes, I was in a hospital,” he said.

The police said that the vehicle they were travelling in had a commercial registration number and it sank to around six feet in the canal.

The five persons who were trapped inside the vehicle were rescued by the Rohta police officials within a few minutes and are currently undergoing treatment at Pyare Lal Hospital in Meerut.

Pandey, superintendent of police, Meerut (rural), said that around 4.50am, another commuter using the route dialled the 100 helpline of the UP Police. “The officers deployed in the van immediately informed the police control room and rushed to the spot. Within seven minutes, a team from the Rohta police station had also reached the spot,” he said, adding that a woman is still missing and efforts are underway to find her.

The police immediately roped in a team of three divers within an hour, who searched for the missing woman but despite could not find her despite a 10-hour operation.

“Two cranes were used to remove the vehicle with the help of the villagers,” said Pandey.

During the investigation, it was found that the family members were sleeping when the incident took place. The air conditioner of the car was not switched on and the windows were open.

Dharamvir Singh, station house officer of Rohta police station, said that due to the impact, the rear mirror of the car broke and one of the children was flung out and was the first to be rescued. “Two women and three men were found trapped, unconscious. The driver died within a few minutes,” he said.

The road was shut for traffic until 7am as the rescue operation was underway.

Kapoor Chand Gupta, the father of Sandeep Gupta, said they received a call from an ambulance driver around 8am and were shocked to hear the news. “We immediately left from our village. Sandeep, along with his wife, two children and nieces, had gone to Gurugram on May 21, as the school was shut for summer break. We were not aware that they had left for Haridwar Saturday morning,” he said, adding that his wife Asha Gupta is in trauma and undergoing treatment.

The driver, Vicky Yadav, is from Alwar and lived in Hans Enclave. He was suspended from the Indian Navy and had bought the vehicle eight months ago. “His family lives in the village. He lived alone in a rented room. He planned to buy another car next month and wanted to start a travel agency,” said Pradeep Yadav, Vicky’s brother.

The family members of the injured persons said they will shift them to a hospital in their hometown. The post-mortem examinations were conducted on Saturday and the bodies will be cremated in Deoria, they said.

A case was registered against the driver under sections 279 (rash driving ) and 304-A (death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code(IPC) at Rohta police station.