Kanpur road accident: Death toll climbs to 18

Kanpur: The death toll in the Kanpur road accident, wherein a double-decker bus and a loader ferrying factory workers collided head-on, has climbed to 18, officials said on Wednesday.

Another injured person succumbed during treatment at the Lala Lajpat Rai (LLR) Hospital here, they said.

District Magistrate Alok Tiwari said a probe has been ordered into the

accident that took place on Tuesday night.

Sub-Divisional Officer (Sadar) Deepak Kumar Pal and Circle Officer (Sadar) Rishikesh Yadav have been asked to probe the incident and submit their findings within 24 hours, Tiwari said.

With one more death, the toll in the accident has climbed to 18, said Superintendent of Police (Kanpur Outer), Ashtbhuja P Singh.

Of the injured, seven are being treated at the Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital, he said.

The Delhi-bound bus collided with the loader that was ferrying 16 biscuit factory workers at Kisan Nagar on the Kanpur-Allahabad highway. Over 70 bus passengers sustained minor injuries, he added.

Those with minor injuries were discharged after first aid.

The bus passengers told the police that the driver had consumed liquor minutes before the accident took place, sources said.

Meanwhile, police personnel have been dispatched to Lalepur, Ishwariganj and Sakatpur villages to ensure that the last rites of the deceased are conducted peacefully, Singh said.

The aggrieved family members attempted to create a ruckus and hit the streets demanding compensation, said a senior official.