Six people, including a 68-year-old man and his two sons, were killed while two teenagers were seriously injured when a van carrying eight people collided head-on with a trailer truck near Tharuadih Hanuman temple in Hata area of Kushinagar on early Monday.
The deceased were identified as Ramvilas (68), his sons Kanhaiya Prasad (45) and Rammilan (38), van driver Mithilesh Gupta (22), Mridul Mishra (38), and Ranjay Gupta (38). The injured, Ayush (14) and Aryan (19), are sons of Rammilan and belong to the same village.
Police said all eight occupants of the van were male. Superintendent of Police Keshav Kumar said the van driver was prima facie found to be drunk and the trailer driver had been traced and would be arrested soon. Additional SP Siddharth Verma said investigations said further legal action will follow after a written complaint is received.
Six died on the spot and two sustained critical injuries. The collision mangled the van, trapping occupants inside, and also damaged the truck’s cabin. Police teams reached the site after receiving information and arranged for the victims to be pulled out. All were residents of Bhaluhi village under Kaptanganj police station limits. Police seized both vehicles and moved them to a secure location.