Mirzapur (UP): Ten people were killed and three injured when a truck collided with a tractor trolley carrying labourers in the district early Friday, police said. The incident took place around 1 am on G T Road between Kachhawan and Mirzamurad areas on the Mirzapur-Varanasi border, Superintendent of Police (Mirzapur) Abhinandan said.
"The tractor trolley, carrying 13 labourers who were returning from construction work in Bhadohi district, was hit from behind by the truck that had gone out of the driver's control," the SP said.
On being alerted, the SP and other senior officers rushed to the scene to oversee the rescue operations. "Of the 13 injured, 10 died while the three others were taken to the hospital at the IIT-BHU, where their condition is stated to be normal," the officer said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the accident. "The road accident in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh is extremely painful. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in this. May God give them strength to bear this pain. Along with this, I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured," he said on X.
"Under the supervision of the state government, the local administration is engaged in helping the victims in every way possible," Modi, also the Lok Sabha MP from Varanasi, said.
Police have sent the bodies to the mortuary, Abhinandan said. A case has been registered at the Kachhawan police station and further legal proceedings are underway, he added.
Authorities are conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the accident, the officer said. According to the police, those killed were Bhanu Pratap (25), Vikas Kumar (20), Anil Kumar (35), Suraj Kumar (22), Sanohar (25), Rakesh Kumar (25), Prem Kumar (40), Rahul Kumar (26), Nitin Kumar (22), Roshan Kumar (17).
Three injured hospitalised in Varanasi were Akash Kumar (18), Jamuni (26) and Ajay Saroj (50). All of them were residents of Varanasi district, the police added.