Atleast six pilgrims died and 14 others critically injured after the pick-up van they were in allegedly rammed into a truck parked on the roadside of Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway in Palwal early Tuesday, police said.
The vehicle’s rear section was converted into a sleeper. Commuters informed the police and multiple emergency response vehicles were soon sent to the spot. The deceased have been identified as Vijay Singh Yadav (75), his son-in-law Raj Kumar (40), Kumar’s mother Kamla Devi (65), aunts Reshma Devi (45) and Sudha Devi (52) and a neighbour Mahesh (60), all from Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri, police said. Police officials said 21 residents from Kishanpur Muraiya, Makoaya, Chanda and neighbouring villages in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri district had left for a pilgrimage on Friday after hiring the Bolero. Hari Kishan, station house officer of Palwal Sadar police station, said the accident took place at 5.30am on Tuesday. On Vinay’s complaint, an FIR against the truck driver was registered under section 106 (causing death by negligence), 285 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation), 324 (5) (mischief causing damage to the amount of one lakh rupees or upwards) and 125 (act engendering life or personal safety of others) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Palwal Sadar police station.
Prima facie it seems that Bolero’s driver Sudhir fell asleep while driving, due to which he changed lanes and ended up ramming the truck.
The truck was parked in a wrong manner on the road and drivers of the van as well as the truck fled after the incident, according to police. A senior police officer, who reached the spot after the accident, said that the impact of the collision was so intense that the Bolero was wrecked and several of the pilgrims were trapped inside it. He said most of the pilgrims were asleep when the crash took place.
