At least 17 people, that includes women as well as children, were killed on Friday when a roadways bus collided with their van on the Agra-Aligarh National Highway near Hathras, Uttar Pradesh.
All sixteen injured have been admitted to a government hospital and are currently undergoing treatment.
Hathras Superintendent of Police (SP) Nipun Agarwal said, “The accident occurred when the bus hit the van while trying to overtake it on the Agra-Aligarh National Highway.”
VIDEO | Uttar Pradesh: 12 people were killed after a car collided with a bus on Agra-Aligarh National Highway near Hathras. “The accident took place while one vehicle was trying to overtake another vehicle. Till now, 12 people have lost their lives, while 16 others are injured,”… pic.twitter.com/9dKyCkghVR
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The accident occurred near Kanwarpur village, about 10 kilometers from the district headquarters. Hathras Police handed over the bodies of the deceased to their families following post-mortem.
The deceased have been identified as Irshad (25), Munne Khan (55), Muskan (16), Talli (28), Tabassum (28), Najma (25), Bhola (25), Khushbu (25), Jameel (50), Chote (25), Ayan (two), Sufiyan (one), Alfaz (six), Shoaib (five) and Ishrat (50).
The SP also stated that efforts are underway to identify the deceased, and those responsible for the incident will not be spared. Four children are among those who lost their lives.
Taking cognisance of the accident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed district officials to reach the spot and take care of relief measures.
He also announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote: “The road accident in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh is extremely painful. My deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this. May God give them strength in this difficult time. Along with this, I wish for the speedy recovery of the people injured in the accident.”