Gonda: Eleven people, including nine members of a family, died and four others were injured when an SUV plunged into the Saryu canal in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district on Sunday, police said.
The accident took place near Belwa Bahuta when the victims were going from Sihagaon village to offer prayers at the Prithvinath Temple in Khargupur. The vehicle was carrying 15 people, said Krishn Gopal Rai, station house officer (SHO) of Itiyathok police station.
Those killed include six women, two men and three children. Sihagaon resident Prahlad’s family members and neighbours were going to the temple. Nine members of his family drowned.
The deceased were identified as Prahlad’s wife Bina (44), two daughters Kajal (22) and Mehak alias Rinki (14), Prahlad’s brother Ramkaran (36) and his (Ramkaran’s) wife Anasuya (34), daughter Saumya (9), son Shubh (7), Prahlad’s youngest brother Ram Roop’s wife Durgesh Nandini (35) and son Amit (14).
Apart from this, Prahlad’s neighbour Ram Lalan Verma’s wife Sanju (26) and his sister Gudiya alias Anju (20) also died in the incident.
Prahlad’s son Satyam, another daughter Pinky, neighbour Ram Lalan Verma and driver Sitaraman were injured, and are undergoing treatment at the local community health centre.
Prahlad is the manager of Meva Lal Madhyamik Vidyalaya in his village, police said.
A teenage girl, who survived the accident, said, “We were visiting the Prithvinath Temple. At the time of the incident, most of us were singing bhajans.”
Rahul Verma, a resident of Itiyathok and an eyewitness to the accident, said the road was slippery due to rain in the morning. When the driver of the SUV applied the brakes, it slipped and fell into the canal, he said.
“We immediately called the police and villagers to the spot and pulled out the SUV with the help of a rope,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish at the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PM’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000, he said.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath condoled the loss of lives in the accident and announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased.
