7-year-old child among 5 dead as van carrying pilgrims collides with bus in UP

Kanpur, May 29 (PTI) Five people, including a seven-year-old child, were killed and four others injured on Sunday evening when a Chitrakoot-bound van and a private school bus collided head on in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur Dehat district, police said.

The accident took place in Musa Nagar area when the victims were on their way to Chitrakoot for pilgrimage, they said.

Superintendent of Police (Kanpur Dehat) Swapnil Mamgain said the victims had boarded a van and left for Chitrakoot, and had barely reached near the BRD College in Musa Nagar when it collided head on with a private school bus.

He added that the bus driver lost his control over the steering, and as a result it fell into a gorge. The driver and the helper somehow managed to flee the scene, the SP said.

After getting information about the incident, a police team along with senior officials rushed to the site and found four van passengers dead, Bhognipur Circle Officer (CO) Tanu Upadhyay said.

The injured were admitted to the district hospital, where another person was declared dead, she added.

A case has been registered against the bus driver and efforts are on to arrest him, police said.

The deceased were identified as Ashok Gupta (45), Rajendra (44), Pradeep (35) and his son Vivansh (7), all residents of Jasora village of Bhognipur. The identity of another deceased is yet to be ascertained.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed deep condolences over the loss of lives due to the road accident in Kanpur Dehat district, the CM Office said in a tweet in Hindi.

The chief minister has directed the officials of the district administration to provide proper treatment to the injured, it said in another tweet. PTI COR NAV CK