Van rams into parked truck in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri; at least twelve dead

Anup Awasthi, 25, the driver of the van, and his helper Kishan, 23, along with seven others died on the spot. Three of the seven injured who were rushed to a hospital in Shahjahanpur succumbed to their injuries later, the police said. The injured persons were rushed to a nearby hospital in Shahjahanpur, police said, adding that efforts are on to identify the deceased.

Deputy SP Vijay Anand said two children, aged three months and one year, had a miraculous escape. The driver lost control of the van running in high speed leading to the accident, Anand said.

ALSO READ | Kushinagar accident: Police say school was unrecognised, driver inexperienced

This is the second road accident in the state this week which has resulted in multiple casualties. On Thursday, 13 children between the ages of 8 and 11 years were killed when their school van collided with a train at an unmanned railway crossing in Padraun Mudrai, about 35 km from Kushinagar. The van had 17 children inside, double its capacity of eight. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who had visited the accident site on the same day, had blamed the driver for allegedly driving with earphones on.