11 dead as truck turns turtle on car and auto-rickshaw on NH-2

AGRA/FIROZABAD: Eleven persons, including two teenagers and two women, were killed after a speeding overloaded truck turned turtle on a hatchback and an auto-rickshaw on the National Highway-2 on Sunday evening.

The accident occurred around 4:10pm at Sauthra roundabout of Sirsaganj police jurisdiction in the Firozabad district.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has announces an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives.


According to eyewitnesses, the hatchback was attempting to overtake the truck from left, while the auto-rickshaw was standing close to the roundabout waiting for passengers to board it. "It was a spine-chilling moment. A sound of boom and the next thing we saw was truck on two vehicles. All the victims were killed instantly due to the heavy weight of the truck," said Ashish, a local resident.

Speaking to TOI, additional superintendent of police (rural) Mahendra Kumar said, "The truck was speeding and as soon it reached near the roundabout to take a curve turn, it lost balance and fell over the hatchback and auto-rickshaw, in which nine persons were crushed to death under the weight of the truck. Two other persons standing near the roundabout also succumbed to injuries."

After the accident, local police roped in crane and excavator from an under-construction flyover sight nearby and took out the victims from the mangled vehicles.
"The ten axle truck was overloaded and was heading toward Kanpur with grocery store items. The truck is registered in the name of a Haryana-based resident. After the accident, the unidentified truck driver fled the spot. We have sent all the bodies for post-mortem," Kumar added.

According to the police, the victims were identified as Manoj Kumar (35), his son Himashu Kumar (12), Priyanshu Kumar (8). The trio were in the auto-rickshaw. Manoj's wife Anju and daughter Usha suffered minor injuries.
The other victims of the hatchback were Chob Singh (50), his wife Anar Shree (48), Ramprakash, Pappu, Amarwati Devi, Satyendra Singh. All the victims were from one family and were heading Chandriya village of Nagla Khangar (Firozabad) from Barauli Ahir of the Agra district.
Picture credit: TOI