Bridegroom among 8 died in fatal SUV crash in UP’s Sambhal; PM, CM condol deaths

Sambhal: A joyous wedding procession turned into a horrific tragedy in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district on Friday evening when a speeding Bolero SUV carrying the groom and his family lost control and crashed into the boundary wall of an inter college, killing eight people, including the groom, his sister, and his sister-in-law. The incident occurred in the Junawai area of Gunnaur tehsil, just two kilometers away from the destination village of Sirsoul in neighbouring Budaun district, where the wedding was to take place. The groom, Suraj (24), was on his way to marry Anju, daughter of Raju, a resident of Sirsoul village in Bilsi tehsil.

According to eyewitnesses, the vehicle was moving at a dangerously high speed when the driver lost control of the steering. “The crash was so violent it sounded like an explosion,” said one local resident. “All ten occupants were trapped inside, screaming in pain.” Police and locals rushed to the site and launched a rescue operation. “The vehicle was mangled beyond recognition. We had to use cutting equipment and a JCB machine to separate the vehicle from the wall and remove the doors,” said Inspector Balram Singh Yadav. While five passengers, including the groom and his sister-in-law, died on the spot, three others succumbed to their injuries later at the hospital. Two survivors, including a toddler, are in critical condition and have been referred to Aligarh for treatment. The deceased have been identified as: Suraj (24), the groom, Komal (18), his sister, Asha (26), his sister-in-law, Aishwarya (2), his niece, Sachin (22) and Madhu (20), Ganesh (6), and Ravi (28), the driver

ASP South Anukriti Sharma and other senior officials reached the spot and supervised the rescue operations. The district administration has confirmed that over-speeding and driver negligence led to the fatal crash. The groom’s family had left for Budaun at around 9 PM. Within ten minutes, the fatal accident occurred, turning the festive atmosphere into grief on both sides. At the bride’s home, the celebrations came to a sudden halt as the news arrived. The bride, Anju, and her parents were inconsolable. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep sorrow over the fatal accident in Sambhal. Taking to social media, the PM wrote: “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the Sambhal accident. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray for the swift recovery of the injured.” The Prime Minister also announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to each of the injured. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families and instructed officials to ensure proper medical treatment for the injured. SP KK Bishnoi confirmed that a case would be registered and a detailed investigation conducted into the incident. He also assured support for the families affected by the tragedy.