Uttar Pradesh: Seven killed as car collides with oil tanker on Yamuna Expressway

Lucknow: Seven people, including four of a family, were killed late on Tuesday night when their Innova car rammed into an overturned oil tanker near 68 Milestone on Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh.

A speeding oil tanker overturned on the other side of Yamuna Expressway after a tyre burst while it was traversing the Expressway. However, before an UPEIDA (Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority) rescue van could come and sound an alert, an Innova car which was coming from Agra rammed into the overturned oil tanker. The seven occupants of the car were killed on the spot.

The deceased have been identified as Manoj (45), wife Babita, (40), sons Abhay (18), Hemant (16) and his two relatives Kannu (10) and Himandri (14). They were all residents of Jind in Haryana and were returning from Mathura after offering prayers at Banke Bihari temple. The driver of the Innova car, Rakesh Singh also died on the spot.

Senior police and district administration officials rushed to the spot to retrieve bodies with the help of UPEIDA rescue team. An alert was sounded on the Expressway about leakage of oil from the overturned tanker after the accident, resulting in a major traffic jam on the Yamuna Expressway.

Fire tenders were pressed into service and the traffic was allowed after water was sprayed on the leaked oil. The Superintendent of Police (Rural) Shreesh Chandra said that bodies have been sent for post mortem and the family of the deceased has been informed about the tragedy.

Traffic was restored after removing the car and truck from the Yamuna Expressway late at night. The UPEIDA has once again appealed to people to be vigilant and careful about speed and tyre pressure during night travel on the Expressways.