Pilibhit: Three women lost their lives while 13 were injured in a road accident involving a tempo, a truck and a motorcycle in Pilibhit on Sunday, police told PTI. The incident occurred around 3.30 pm when the tempo driver applied brakes to save a calf and the vehicle was hit from behind by a truck. At the same time, a motorcycle rider coming from the opposite direction also applied brakes to save the calf, SHO of Barkhera police station Arvind Singh Chauhan said.

After hitting the tempo, the truck hit the motorcycle head-on, he said, adding the tempo overturned and fell in a roadside ditch.

Pilibhit's Superintendent of Police Avinash Pandey said the deceased have been identified as Chandrakali (65) and Umeri Devi (70), who were travelling in the tempo, and Phoolbano (45), who was on the motorcycle.

Pandey said that he visited the accident spot and the district hospital where the injured were taken. Among the injured, 11 were admitted to the district hospital for treatment, while two were discharged after first aid.

The truck driver was arrested and his vehicle seized, police said.

Gangadeen, a resident of Bisalpur, who was injured in the accident, told the police that he, his mother Chandrakali and aunt Umeri Devi were going to Bareilly district to attend a programme.

As soon as they reached the Nawada area of Barkhera, a truck hit the tempo from behind, said the Gangadeen whose mother and aunt died in the accident.