At least 12 pilgrims were killed and more than 16 injured in a tragic road accident in India’s Uttar Pradesh.
The accident occurred late Sunday (Sept. 6) night on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway in the state’s Baghpat district, police said Monday.
Police said the pilgrims were returning to Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, from Bagar Dham in Rajasthan. Their vehicle was carrying 32 pilgrims from Badaun. The accident occurred around 1 a.m. between Basi and Bara villages in the Khekra Kotwali area of Baghpat district.
Initial reports indicate the vehicle, traveling at high speed, lost control and struck the road’s median before overturning. Panic spread instantly among the passengers inside, and many cried out for help after the crash.
Local residents rushed to the scene after learning of the accident. Police and emergency rescue workers arrived shortly after. The injured were rescued and taken to a local hospital, with several reported to be in critical condition.
Police said several people died at the scene, while more died after being taken to the hospital for treatment of severe injuries. Efforts to identify the dead are under way.
As news of the accident spread, a wave of grief has fallen over the families of the dead and injured in Badaun. Relatives are in contact with the hospital and local authorities.
Police are investigating the cause of the accident, including whether the driver lost control or another factor was responsible.
The crash site is about 15 kilometers from Baghpat district headquarters. Local sources said relatively fast-moving nighttime traffic on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway also complicated rescue efforts after the crash.