8 Dead, Several Injured As Bus Collides With Water Tanker In Kannauj; PM Modi Expresses Grief

Kannauj: At least eight people were killed and around a dozen were injured after a bus they were travelling with collided with a water tanker irrigating plants on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway on Friday. A senior police official confirmed that the incident took place in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj, which led to the halting of traffic moment for a brief time on the expressway as the bus overturned after the collision. On information, the local police along with the fire department officials rushed to the spot and shifted the victims to a nearby hospital for treatment, where eight of them were declared dead. 

Kannauj Superintendent of Police (SP) Amit Kumar Anand said that the accident occurred around 2 pm in the Sakrawa area in Kannauj when the bus was en route to Delhi from Lucknow.

"Eight passengers died in the accident and around a dozen injured passengers are receiving treatment at the Saifai Medical College, near Etawah district," he said.

Other passengers, who were not injured, were sent to their destinations in another bus, he added.

State Minister for Jal Shakti Swatantra Dev Singh, who was passing by at the time of the accident, stopped his convoy to assist in rescuing the injured and ensuring their transportation to the hospital.

“Senior police and administrative officials have reached the spot and they have been instructed to provide the best of medical treatment to the injured," Singh told PTI.

It’s an unfortunate incident. We need to be more careful on roads and adhere to traffic rules, and safety measures, he added.

Citing his interaction with the injured passengers, the minister said that the bus driver was apparently drowsy and that may have led to the crash. 

A case has been registered in the matter and further investigation is being conducted. 

PM Modi Announced Ex-Gratia

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi , took to X, to express his grief over the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased, while Rs 50,000 for all the injured victims. In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Saddened by the loss of lives in the bus accident in Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected.”

“An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000,” PM Modi announced.