Mathura e-way crash kills 6; Container hits bus, runs over passengers
Mathura: Six people were killed and nine others injured in a horrific road accident in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district early Saturday when a speeding container rammed into a stationary bus and then ran over passengers standing on the expressway.
The incident occurred around 2.45 am near milestone 88 under the Surir police station area. The bus was travelling from Delhi to Kanpur when it stopped on the expressway after some passengers got down to relieve themselves. Police said the driver parked the bus on the roadside instead of halting it at a designated green zone. According to officials, a container coming from behind at high speed first collided with the bus and then went out of control, crushing passengers standing nearby before speeding ahead. Six passengers died on the spot. The deceased have been identified as Sonu from Auraiya, Devesh from Basti, Aslam from Kannauj and Santosh from Delhi. The identities of two other victims are yet to be established. All bodies have been sent for postmortem.
Nine injured passengers were rushed to hospital, where they are undergoing treatment. Police said their condition is stable.
The accident led to a brief disruption of traffic on the expressway. Police and local administration officials reached the spot soon after receiving information and carried out rescue operations before clearing the road and restoring traffic.
Preliminary investigation points to negligence on the part of the bus driver, who allegedly violated expressway safety norms by stopping the vehicle at an unsafe location. Officials said vehicles are required to halt only at designated green zones to avoid accidents on high-speed corridors.
Police have registered a case and launched a search for the container driver, who fled the spot after the crash.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident and expressed grief over the loss of lives. He conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and directed officials to ensure prompt relief measures and proper medical treatment for the injured.
