Eleven people, including children, lost their lives in a multi-vehicle accident in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur district, reportedly caused by a truck’s brake failure, police said on Thursday. The incident took place around 8:30 pm on Wednesday. Police and fire brigade teams quickly reached the scene and, with the help of local residents, began rescue operations, said Superintendent of Police Aparna Rajat Kaushik.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the incident, describing it as “extremely tragic and heart-rending.” According to police, the crash occurred on National Highway-135 on a downhill stretch from the Dramandganj valley towards Lasoda, about 50 km from the district headquarters. Initial reports suggest that a truck descending the slope lost its brakes and rammed into another truck ahead.

A car caught between the two trucks was crushed, and in the resulting chain collision, another car caught fire after being hit, officials said. “Police and locals worked together to rescue those trapped in the wreckage. So far, 11 fatalities have been confirmed,” Kaushik stated. District Magistrate Pawan Gangwar said that among the deceased, seven were from Mirzapur, three from Madhya Pradesh, and one from the neighbouring Sonbhadra district.

Those from Mirzapur’s Jigna area included Shiva Singh (8), Sonam Singh (9), Piyush Singh (14), Pankaj Singh (40), Vandana Singh (43), Vishnu Singh (45), and Veena Singh (47). The other victims were Kartikeya Singh (18) and Priyanka Singh (42) from Satna, Vikas Sharma (32) from Sagar in Madhya Pradesh, and Jai Prakash (27) from Sonbhadra.

The vehicles involved included one truck registered in Bihar and another in Madhya Pradesh. Of the cars, one belonged to Sonbhadra and the other to Mirzapur. In a post on X, Adityanath said, “The loss of lives in the road accident in Mirzapur is extremely tragic and heart-rending. My condolences are with the bereaved families.” He also directed officials to ensure proper medical care for the injured.

“I pray to Lord Ram for eternal peace for the departed souls, strength for the grieving families, and a speedy recovery for the injured,” he added. Gangwar confirmed that the bodies have been sent for post-mortem and that the families have been notified. Authorities are working to restore traffic on the affected stretch, and a detailed investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the accident.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Business Standard.