Three dead, 17 injured as fog triggers road crashes | Lucknow News
Lucknow: Dense fog and poor visibility turned deadly on Uttar Pradesh highways on Sunday as two major road accidents in Amethi and Barabanki claimed three lives and left at least 17 people injured, several of them critically.In Amethi, a high-speed collision between a car and a UPSRTC bus occurred early Sunday morning on the Banda-Tanda Highway, near a steel factory in Gauriganj area. The impact was so severe that both the vehicles plunged off the road, killing two people on the spot.The deceased were identified as Deepak Singh, a resident of Anni Baijal village in Gauriganj, who was travelling in the bus, and Rituraj, a resident of Divitara village in Kaushambi’s Pokhara area, who was driving the car.At least 10 bus passengers sustained injuries and were rushed to hospital. Police officials said the preliminary investigation pointed to overspeeding and negligence, worsened by foggy conditions. Eyewitnesses claimed both the vehicles were moving at high speed before colliding head-on.In a separate accident in Barabanki, dense fog led to a chain collision on Barabanki-Bahraich highway on Sunday morning. Two SUVs collided head-on near the Harinarayanpur turn under Ramnagar police station limits. Moments later, a bus following one of the SUVs lost control and rammed into it.Devendra Kumar (40), a resident of Rusipurwa village under Karnailganj police station, died on the spot. His identity was established through a labour card. Seven others travelling in two cars were seriously injured and rushed to the Ramnagar community health centre. Two critically injured people — Mohd Islam (50) and Atikurrahman — were later referred to the district hospital.Police said one of the SUV was carrying Mohd Israr (26) of Jarwal town in Bahraich district, who works in Dubai and just landed at Lucknow airport. He was returning home with his father Makbool Ahmed (50), brother-in-law Salam (48), niece Safiya (10), sister Razia (11), and brother Suban (18) when the accident occurred.The collision caused a massive traffic jam, stretching nearly two kilometres, with vehicular movement disrupted for about an hour. Ramnagar station house officer Anil Kumar Pandey said the body was sent for post-mortem, and traffic on the highway was later restored.
