Eighteen people were killed and 19 injured when a double-decker sleeper bus headed for Delhi hit a milk tanker on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway here on Wednesday. The accident occurred around 5 am near Jojikot village in Behta Mujhawar police station area.
District Magistrate Gaurang Rathi said it appears that the bus, which was coming from Motihari in Bihar, was speeding and hit the milk tanker from behind. A probe has been launched into the matter, he said.
Rathi said 20 passengers who sustained minor injuries were sent to Delhi in another bus, which was carrying 60 people.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other leaders condoled the loss of lives in the accident. Modi announced an ex gratia of `2 lakh for the families of the deceased.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said officials have been instructed to ensure the best treatment for the injured.
"The loss of lives in a road accident in Unnao district is extremely sad and heartbreaking. My condolences are with the bereaved families," he said.
Additional Director General of Police, Lucknow, S B Shiradkar said 14 men, three women and a child were killed in the accident. Bangarmau Circle Officer (CO) Arvind Kumar said due to the collision, both the bus and milk tanker overturned. Drivers of the two vehicles were among the dead.
Glass shards and people's belongings lay scattered on the highway next to the overturned bus and milk tanker. Cranes were used to put the two vehicles back on their wheels and they were later towed away.
The impact of the collision left the front portion of the bus badly mangled with one side ripped open. "We were sleeping. I don't know what happened," Mohd Shamim, a passenger who sustained head injuries in the accident, told reporters at the hospital.
Another passenger, Dilshad, lost six of the eight family members he was travelling with. He said the bus driver was speeding all night.
Later, Dilshad identified six members of his family -- Ashfaq (45), Ruby (40), Gulnaz (12), Suhail (4), Sonu (32) and Soni (28) -- in the post-mortem house.
Four other deceased were identified as bus driver Ekhlaq (49), milk tanker driver Sunil Kumar (35), Deepak Kumar (27) and Shivdayal (28).
