At least 12 people were killed and more than 16 injured after a canter carrying pilgrims overturned on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district late on Sunday, police said on Monday.
The pilgrims were returning to Budaun after a pilgrimage to Bagad Dham in Rajasthan when the accident took place, the police added. Police and emergency personnel reached the spot soon after receiving information and rushed the injured to the district hospital. Doctors there declared six people dead. Police, however, are investigating the circumstances and the exact cause of the accident. The pilgrims had travelled together from their village in Budaun to Rajasthan and were returning home when the accident occurred in Baghpat. This time, however, the accident has left several families devastated. Baghpat District Magistrate Asmita Lal and Superintendent of Police Suraj Rai visited the district hospital. They met the injured and directed medical personnel to ensure that they received proper and timely treatment.
The accident occurred at around 1am between Basi and Bada villages in the Khekra Kotwali area, around 15 km from Baghpat district headquarters. The canter, carrying 32 devotees from Budaun, reportedly hit a divider before overturning, triggering panic and cries for help.
The driver told the passengers that a vehicle approaching from behind had collided with their canter, causing it to lose balance and overturn, according to Kunwarpal. All the passengers belonged to the same village, according to Vimlesh Kumar Yadav. He said villagers had been undertaking pilgrimages to Rajasthan for nearly two decades and their previous journeys were generally completed without any major incident.
