A major road accident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway near Makkanpur, leaving 26 passengers injured after two private sleeper buses collided. The crash took place around 4:15 AM, triggering panic among travelers and prompting a large-scale emergency response.
According to police sources, a sleeper bus travelling from Delhi to Gonda with approximately 40 passengers was hit from behind by another high-speed sleeper bus en route to Siddharthnagar. The collision was so intense that the front bus overturned, causing chaos inside and around the vehicle.
Swift Emergency Response
Upon receiving information, UPEIDA teams and local police reached the spot. A fleet of 15 ambulances was dispatched, and a crane was used to remove the heavily damaged vehicles. Passengers trapped inside the overturned bus were rescued and provided with immediate medical attention.
The injured were first taken to a nearby Community Health Centre (CHC) for primary treatment. 15 of them were later referred to Kanpur’s LLR Hospital, where two are reported to be in critical condition and are currently being treated in the ICU.
Preliminary Cause: Driver Fatigue
Inspector Janardan Singh Yadav, who is overseeing the case, stated that the likely cause of the accident was driver fatigue, as the driver of the rear bus may have briefly dozed off before the crash. Both drivers fled the scene following the incident, and police have launched a manhunt to trace and identify them.
Passengers Re-Routed
Passengers with minor injuries were provided first aid and sent onward to their destinations via alternate buses arranged by the authorities.
The accident has once again raised concerns over the safety of long-distance night buses, especially the enforcement of rest regulations for drivers.
