Truck-tractor collision leaves 10 labourers dead in UP’s Bhadohi

Lucknow: In a horrific accident near Katka village on the Prayagraj-Varanasi highway in the Kachhwan police station area, a speeding truck rammed into a tractor carrying labourers resulting in the deaths of 10 people late Thursday night.

Three others were critically injured and have been referred to the trauma centre in Varanasi for treatment. Senior police and administrative officials, including the Superintendent of Police, rushed to the scene and rescue operations continued into the wee hours of Friday.

The labourers, hailing from Birbalpur village under the Mirzamurad police station in Varanasi, had finished a construction project at Tiyuri village of Bhadohi’s Aurai area and were heading home.

The group, consisting of 12 workers, was travelling on a tractor while their supervisor followed on a motorcycle.

According to eyewitnesses, an uncontrolled truck approaching from Aurai struck the supervisor’s bike before colliding with the tractor.

The impact was so severe that the tractor was lifted into the air and fell into a roadside drain, with the truck also crashing into it and getting stuck. The drain was filled with water, leading to some of the victims being crushed or drowning in the debris.

Upon receiving the news of the accident around 12:30 am, CO Sadar Amar Bahadur and police forces from nearby stations arrived to begin rescue operations. The bodies were recovered from the drain and mutilated ones were removed from the road.

Following the accident, local residents blocked the highway in protest but the situation was brought under control by SP Abhinandan and CO Sadar, who convinced the crowd to disperse.

Traffic on the highway resumed after the road was cleared of debris.