Unnao, Uttar Pradesh – At least 18 people died and 19 were injured in a tragic accident when a sleeper bus rammed into a milk tanker on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway early Wednesday morning. The incident occurred near Gadha village in Unnao district while the bus was attempting to overtake the tanker. The impact of the collision caused the bus to overturn.
According to officials, the bus was primarily carrying migrant workers traveling from Bihar to Delhi. All injured passengers have been rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment, with three individuals reported to be in critical condition.
The authorities have identified two of the deceased victims as Rajnish Kumar (26) and Mohd Shamim (28), both from Bihar. Efforts to identify the other victims are ongoing.
A rescue operation has been launched by local authorities, and the Unnao administration has issued helpline numbers for assistance: 0515-2970767, 9651432703, 9454417447, 8887713617, 8081211289.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his condolences for the loss of lives and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. He also urged the workers of the INDIA bloc parties to provide all possible help to the victims. “The news of the death of 18 people in a tragic road accident on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway in Unnao, UP is very sad. We express our deepest condolences to the bereaved families of the victims. We wish for the speedy recovery of all those injured in the accident. The administration is requested not to leave any stone unturned in helping the victims,” Kharge wrote on X.
This incident follows a similar tragedy earlier this year in April, when eight people were killed and over 20 injured in Unnao. A speeding truck collided head-on with a bus, ripping through one of its sides near Jamaldipur village on Hardoi-Unnao Road in Safipur. The injured were admitted to the Unnao district hospital and LLR Hospital in Kanpur. The bus, carrying 35 passengers, suffered the loss of eight lives, with the remaining 20 injured. The bus driver fled the scene, but the truck driver was arrested.
In another recent incident, at least 40 people, including several school children, were injured when a bus overturned in Haryana’s Panchkula district on Monday morning. The accident occurred near Naulata village of Pinjore town due to overspeeding. Overloading and poor road conditions were also cited as contributing factors.
