Six people were killed and five others injured after a sand-laden dumper rammed a tempo on the Agra-Moradabad National Highway in Sambhal district on Sunday morning, police said.
The accident took place around 9am near Bamnetta village, nearly 2km from the district headquarters, under Bahjoi police station limits. The dumper, approaching from the opposite direction, allegedly swerved to avoid the e-rickshaw before crashing into the tempo, he explained while narrating the sequence of events. The crash triggered panic on the highway, with local residents rushing to the spot to rescue those trapped in the wreckage. Bahjoi station house officer Rajeev Kumar Malik and a police team reached the spot soon afterwards. Senior police officers also inspected the accident site. Police are examining the circumstances leading to the crash, particularly the alleged sudden U-turn by the e-rickshaw and the dumper driver’s attempt to avoid it.
The impact sent the tempo nearly 10 feet away, witnesses told the police.
Vikas Chandra Tripathi the tempo was travelling in its lane when an e-rickshaw ahead suddenly took a U-turn, according to Sambhal superintendent of police (SP). Sambhal police said the injured were sent to the hospital for treatment and the bodies of the deceased were subjected to inquest proceedings before being sent for post-mortem examination.
Doctors at the Bahjoi community health centre declared four people dead after the injured were brought there.
A fifth victim later succumbed to injuries, while another injured person, identified as Rampal, subsequently died during treatment, taking the death toll to six, circle officer (Bahjoi) Stuti Singh said.
