At least 19 dead in Kanpur after vehicle carrying pilgrims meets with accident

At least 19 people were reported to have died in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur district on Saturday after a vehicle carrying pilgrims met with an accident.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Yogi Adityanath condoled the deaths. Among those who were killed, 15 were women. Following the mishap, visuals captured the chaos as people at the accident site scrambled for help. Ambulances and officials were rushed to the spot.

“Distressed by the tractor-trolley mishap in Kanpur. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. Prayers with the injured. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected,” the prime minister’s office tweeted, adding that a compensation of ₹2 lakh would be given to the family of those who have died – from the PM’s relief fund – and ₹50,000 would be given to those injured.

A statement by the Chief Minister’s office highlighted that compensation worth ₹2 lakh for the families of those who have died would be given from the state. “The road accident in Kanpur district is very heart-wrenching. The District Magistrate and other senior officers have been directed to reach the spot immediately and conduct relief and rescue operations on a war footing and make arrangements for proper treatment of the injured,” Yogi Adityanath tweeted.

“The loss of lives in this accident is extremely tragic,” he wrote in another post.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh was among others who condoled the loss of lives in the accident.