Lucknow: Six labourers and their family members, including three children, were killed and 15 others were injured when a truck in which they were travelling overturned in Maukhas village near Etawah district in Uttar Pradesh on early Tuesday morning.
These labourers and their families were going to Firozabad to work as labourers in the potato fields.
The deceased have been identified as Ramesh (41), Pinki (45), Radha (42), Chandavati (14), Komal (8), and Suraj (4). The police and villagers rushed to the accident site and rescued the injured.
About 15 people were injured in the accident. They have been admitted to the hospital. According to the police, a labour contractor was taking 25 labourers and their family members to Ferozabad to harvest potatoes. Firozabad-Kannauj-Etawah-Mainpuri is known as the potato belt in Uttar Pradesh. A lot of people travel from nearby districts to work as labourers in potato fields.
According to the police, they boarded an already overloaded truck in the Bhognipur area. The driver of the speeding truck lost control of the vehicle at Maukhas village and overturned. Six among them died on the spot, while 15 sustained serious injuries. Traffic on the highway was also disrupted due to the accident.
“We have sent the bodies of six labourers for post-mortem and admitted the injured in the hospital. Traffic on the highway has been restored and a case has been registered against the labour contractor and truck driver,” said Keshav Kumar, Superintendent of Police (SP).
