Father and two sons among deceased; CRPF jawan also killed
The accident occurred around 12.15 am on the Hata-Pipraich road under Hata police station limits, according to the police.
In its official statement, Kushinagar Police said no written complaint had been received in connection with the accident so far. Police also said the situation at the spot was under control and there was no law-and-order problem. Superintendent of Police, Kushinagar, Keshav Kumar, said the van driver was prima facie found to be in an inebriated condition at the time of the accident.
The Omni van (UP53EQ5569) was travelling from Hata towards Kaptanganj, carrying eight men, including the driver, who were returning home after attending a relative’s tilak (engagement) ceremony. Meanwhile, a trailer truck (UP53GT5156) was coming from Ahirauli Bazaar towards Hata when the two vehicles collided head-on near Tharuadih Hanuman temple. On receiving information, police personnel rushed to the spot and initiated rescue operations. Given the extent of damage to the van, gas cutters were used to slice open its doors and retrieve the occupants. The six bodies were subsequently sent to the district mortuary for post-mortem examination. Further legal action would be initiated after receiving a complaint. He added that the trailer driver had been traced and would be arrested soon. Police are investigating the circumstances leading to the collision. Expressing condolences to the bereaved families, the Chief Minister directed officials to immediately reach the accident site and expedite relief and rescue operations.
The accident left the families of the deceased devastated, particularly the family of the village head’s representative. The death of Ranjay Gupta, who was on leave from his CRPF posting, also plunged his family into mourning.
The collision was so powerful that the van was completely mangled, trapping all eight occupants inside. Rescue personnel had to use gas cutters to cut open the vehicle’s doors and extricate the trapped occupants. Six people died on the spot, while the two injured were rushed to hospital.