A spate of road accidents across Uttar Pradesh over Thursday night and Friday has left 25 people dead and many others severely injured. The crashes, involving wedding parties, pilgrims, and overloaded vehicles, were attributed to overspeeding, driver fatigue, and alcohol consumption, highlighting critical lapses in road safety.
The most severe incident occurred on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Kannauj, where a sleeper bus traveling from Lucknow to Delhi overturned after the driver reportedly fell asleep at the wheel. The bus collided with a water tanker on the median before flipping over near kilometer marker 140.
Eight passengers died on the spot, while over 40 others sustained injuries. Locals and rescue teams broke the windows to free those trapped inside. The injured were transported to hospitals in Saifai, Tirva, and Saurikh. Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as passengers screamed for help in the aftermath. In Pilibhit, six people lost their lives in a crash involving a speeding Ertiga car.
The vehicle, carrying 11 passengers returning to Khatima, Uttarakhand, from a wedding, lost control on the Pilibhit-Tanakpur Highway near Neuria and struck a tree before overturning into a ditch.
Rescuers struggled to retrieve victims due to the car’s mangled state. Officials reported that five victims died at the hospital, while four remain in critical condition.
Another accident in Mahoba claimed three lives when a Celerio car crashed into a divider on the Jhansi-Mirzapur Highway. The vehicle was heading to a wedding in Ghutai village with seven occupants. Investigators discovered alcohol bottles in the car, and witnesses reported a strong smell of liquor at the scene, suggesting the driver may have been intoxicated. Excessive speed, estimated at 130 km/h, further worsened the impact of the crash.
In Chitrakoot, five pilgrims returning from Prayagraj in an overloaded Bolero SUV were killed in a collision with a truck on the Jhansi-Mirzapur Highway. The accident occurred near Raipura at around 5.30 am, reportedly after the driver dozed off. Six others sustained injuries, three of whom are in critical condition.
In Lucknow, three friends returning home after marriage on the wee hours of Friday on a motorcycle were hit from behind by a speeding truck. All three died on the spot
These tragic incidents underscore the consequences of reckless driving and the lack of adherence to traffic regulations. Authorities are investigating all cases and have urged stricter enforcement of road safety norms to prevent such avoidable loss of life.