Baghpat: Twelve pilgrims, including three children and three women, were killed and more than 19 others injured when a speeding truck rammed into a pickup van carrying 32 pilgrims on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway in Baghpat in the wee hours of Monday.
Pilgrims killed in expressway crash
The victims, six men, three women and three children, were returning to Badaun from Bagad Dham, also known as Gogamedi, in Rajasthan, when the accident occurred around 1 am between Basi and Bada Gaon in the Khekra police station area, about 15 km from the district headquarters.
According to eyewitnesses, the speeding canter struck the pickup from behind. The impact sent the vehicle crashing into the divider before it overturned in the middle of the expressway. The collision was so severe that bodies were thrown and scattered up to nearly 30 metres from the spot.
Rescue operations after collision
The sound of the crash brought local residents rushing to the site. Amid screams and chaos, they pulled injured passengers from the expressway and moved them to the roadside before police arrived. All the injured were subsequently taken to the district hospital for treatment.
An injured passenger, Kunwar Pal, said the group belonged to Allapur Chamari village in Badaun and had been returning after visiting Bagad Dham.
"We were sleeping in the vehicle when there was suddenly a loud impact and the vehicle overturned," he said, adding that the driver later told them that a vehicle approaching from behind had hit the pickup.
Probe into accident underway
The accident has raised questions over the circumstances in which such a large number of passengers were travelling in the pickup and the speed of the vehicles involved. Police are investigating the exact cause of the crash.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of lives and directed the administration to provide Rs 2 lakh each to the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 each to the injured as financial assistance.
Baghpat District Magistrate Asmita Lal and Superintendent of Police Suraj Rai reached the district hospital after receiving information about the accident. They met the injured and directed health officials to ensure proper treatment.
Officials said the families of the deceased and injured have been informed by telephone.
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About Bagad Dham
Bagad Dham, or Gogamedi, in Rajasthan's Hanumangarh district, is an important pilgrimage centre in north India and is associated with Jaharveer Baba Goga Ji Maharaj, also known as Goga Nath. Thousands of devotees visit the shrine, particularly during August and September.
