Overloaded autorickshaw swerves to save motorcyclist, gets hit by truck; 11 dead

LUCKNOW: Eleven people including six women and three children died when an overloaded autorickshaw trying to avoid hitting a motorcyclist was hit by a speeding truck in Hardoi district on Wednesday, police said.

A senior police officer said the autorickshaw, which was carrying about 15 people, flipped before the truck hit the vehicle. The four surviving passengers of the autorickshaw have been admitted to hospital with serious injuries.

Hardoi superintendent of police (SP) Neeraj Jadaun said the incident took place near Roshanpur village on the Bilgram-Madhoganj road at about 12.30pm.

The overloaded autorickshaw toppled over when the driver swerved sharply to avoid hitting the motorcycle, but a truck hit it from the opposite side.

Jadaun said the impact of the collision was so huge that the autorickshaw’s roof was completely wrecked and its occupants were thrown out on the road.

Seven people including five women and a child died on the spot. Three others died during treatment at a government hospital.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath condoled the deaths and directed officials concerned to carry out the rescue operation and provide the best possible medical treatment to the injured.

A second police officer said six of the 10 people who lost their lives in the accident have been identified as Madhuri Devi (40), Sunita Devi (35), Sunita’s daughter Aashi (8), Neelam Devi (60), Radha Devi (40) and Satyam Kushwaha (28). Efforts are on to ascertain the identity of the remaining five deceased.