Three passengers were killed and more than 25 others were injured on Sunday morning after a speeding semi-deluxe double-decker bus overturned on the Ganga Expressway in Sambhal district. The accident occurred near the Lahrawan Interchange in the Bahjoi police station area. The bus was en route from Bahraich to Jalandhar, Punjab, when the tragedy unfolded.
Latest Update
The bus was carrying approximately 150 passengers, many of whom were migrant workers travelling to Punjab after visiting their hometowns. Emergency response teams from the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), local police and the 108 ambulance service rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. The injured were pulled from the wreckage and shifted to nearby hospitals, while a crane was later deployed to remove the damaged bus and restore traffic on the expressway.
Doctors at the Bahjoi Community Health Centre declared Neha, 17, daughter of Gangaram from Gajapur in Bahraich, and Pintu, 36, son of Lallan Singh from Gonda, dead on arrival. Later Rishabh Singh, 35, son of Shiv Kumar Singh from Shankarpur in Bahraich, succumbed to critical injuries.
Among those injured are Surendra Kumar, Munnalal, Anita, Arvind, Shobhit, Guddo, Poonam, Geeta, Roomana, Rama Devi, Sattu, Pankaj, Vipin, Mahesh, Dinesh, Chhotu and several other passengers. All were admitted to the Community Health Centre in Bahjoi, where they are receiving treatment. Officials said some critically injured victims may be shifted to higher medical institutions for specialised care.
Chief medical officer Dr Tarun Pathak and additional superintendent of police (North) Manoj Rawat visited the Bahjoi Community Health Centre after the accident to review the condition of the injured. The officials interacted with patients and instructed doctors to ensure prompt and effective treatment.
Police have launched an investigation. SP said driver fatigue appears to be the primary cause based on initial evidence, but all aspects of the accident, including the driver’s condition and the bus’s mechanical fitness, will be examined before further legal action is taken.
Details
Preliminary investigations indicate that the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, causing the bus to lose control before crashing into the central divider and overturning.
According to officials, the speeding bus first rammed into the divider and then overturned, trapping several passengers inside and triggering panic among those on board.
Dr Pathak said preliminary findings suggest that the driver dozed off moments before the accident, causing the bus to veer off course. While he initially reported two fatalities, officials later confirmed that the death toll had risen to three.
Passengers who survived the crash described frightening moments leading up to the accident. Ram Lakhan, a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri travelling on the bus, said it began drifting towards the edge of the road just seconds before the impact. Passengers shouted repeatedly to alert the driver, but he appeared to have already fallen asleep. The vehicle then struck the divider and overturned.
