Eight Dead, Over 40 Injured as Sleeper Bus Overturns on Agra-Lucknow Expressway

GG News Bureau
Kannauj, 6th Dec. A tragic accident occurred on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway on Friday afternoon when a speeding sleeper bus traveling from Lucknow to Delhi overturned near kilometer 140 in the Saurikh police station area. The mishap claimed the lives of eight passengers on the spot, including one woman, and left over 40 others injured.

The injured were rushed to Rajkiya Medical College Saifai, Rajkiya Medical College Tirwa, and the Community Health Center Saurikh for treatment. The Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) has announced ex-gratia compensation of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured.

According to survivors, the bus driver dozed off, causing the vehicle to lose control and collide with a tanker engaged in watering plants on the divider before overturning. The impact led to chaos, with passengers screaming for help. Nearby residents broke the bus windows to rescue those trapped inside.

The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) team and local police promptly arrived at the scene, and ambulances transported the injured to nearby hospitals. District Magistrate Subhrant Kumar Shukla, Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Anand, and Saurikh Police Station Chief Jayprakash Sharma also reached the site to oversee rescue operations.

Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Anand confirmed the death toll and revealed that the bus driver was among the deceased. The condition of several injured passengers remains critical, and treatment is ongoing.

State Cabinet Minister Swatantra Dev Singh, who was passing by, stopped at the accident site to assist. He ensured all injured passengers were sent to hospitals and directed authorities to provide the best medical care. He also instructed the district administration to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.