27 devotees returning after 'mundan' ceremony killed in road mishap in UP's Kanpur

KANPUR: At least 27 people were killed and two dozen hurt after a tractor-trolley they were travelling in fell into a pond in Ghatampur area of Kanpur Dehat late on Saturday evening. While 22 persons died on spot and five more succumbed to the injuries during treatment in hospital. According to police sources, the death toll may be even higher as doctors stated the condition of a few others to be critical.

 All the devotees, who were residents of Kortha village, were returning home after attending a ‘mundan’ ceremony from the Chandrika Devi temple in neighbouring Unnao district. Prime Minister Narednra Modi expressed condolence on the deaths and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the dead from the PM’s relief fund.

"Distressed by the tractor-trolley mishap in Kanpur. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. Prayers with the injured. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected," Modi said in a tweet.


Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the seriously injured. He also instructed district and police officials to reach the spot with rescue measures at the earliest and to ensure proper treatment for the people injured in the accident. 

After the accident, CM Yogi also asked people to desist from using tractors for conveyance.

According to police, one Raju Nishad, a resident of Kortha village, had gone for the mundan ceremony of his one-year-old son on Saturday along with 35-40 people, including his family, at Chandrika Devi Temple at Buxar Ghat in Unnao. It was when Nishad along with others was returning to his native place on Saturday night that the tractor-trolley went uncontrollable, overturned and fell into a pond between Saadh and Gambhirpur villages. 

Some of those injured in the mishap claimed that the driver was under the impact of alcohol. By 9 pm, police had retrieved 25 bodies. The search is still on for more bodies. Senior district and police officials from Kanpur had also reached the spot and helped the rescue and relief operations.  Several district and police officials had also reached Kanpur’s Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital to make arrangements in advance for those critically injured.

A dozen ambulances had reached the spot and from there the injured were sent to nearby CHCs and LLR Hospital.

Kanpur Outer SP Tej Swaroop Singh said that the police personnel along with the local residents are trying to rescue those who fell into the pond. "It is difficult to tell how many people are still trapped in the pond right now," he added. (THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS)

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