Three killed as minibus collides with tanker near Kalyanpuri
A family of 13 people were on their way to Nainital in Uttarakhand
New Delhi: A speeding minibus carrying 13 people of a family collided with a water tanker on National Highway (NH) 24 near Kalyanpuri.The occupants of the minibus were on their way to Nainital, Uttarakhand. Three including the minibus driver are dead and 10 injured passengers are undergoing treatment.
Three persons, including a minor, were killed and three sustained severe injuries when their minibus hit a tanker on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway in the early hours of Saturday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Jasmeet Singh said that the family from Uttam Nagar was going to Nainital on holiday when the incident happened.
"A call was received around 12 at midnight. And when the police reached the spot, two vehicles in accident condition were found. Seven, including three minors, were rushed to nearby hospitals," he said.
Police said that the deceased had been identified as Mukesh Jain (39), Nishan Singh (34) and Monu Jain (13). Mukesh's wife Poonam, Anurag (16) and Khushboo (22) are battling for life. Their condition is said to be serious.
After the police came, they initially faced difficulty while rescuing the injured but later with the help of a saw they separated the pieces of the damaged cars and took the victims to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in East Delhi. Some were also admitted to Max hospital.
Eyewitnesses alleged that it was because of minibus' high speed and water tanker's low speed that the mishap took place. Police reached the spot and seized both the vehicles.
Later, after a preliminary investigation, the Delhi Police too confirmed the speed variations of the two vehicles to be the cause of the accident.
"The tanker driver identified as 34-year-old Santosh has been arrested. He is a resident of Mandawali in Delhi. He says that due to faulty clutch the water tanker was moving slowly and the traveller minibus hit the back of the tanker. What was the actual cause of the accident, will be found after due and thorough investigation," said Jasmeet Singh, DCP East Delhi.
