18 sleeping on road killed after truck hits bus in UP

BARABANKI (UP): At least 18 labourers sleeping on the road in front of a bus they had been travelling in, were crushed to death last night after a speeding truck hit the bus in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki district, 28 km from state capital Lucknow.

The incident took place under Kotwali Ramsanehighat area late on Tuesday night. The private bus was on its way to Bihar from Ludhiana in Punjab, they said.

The axle of the bus broke down and it was parked on the road when a speeding truck coming from behind hit it, killing 18 people on the spot and injuring 25 others, the police said.

Some passengers were standing outside the bus while others were sitting inside at the time of the incident, they said.

Police rushed to the spot after receiving information about the accident and the rescue operation is underway. The injured were rushed to the hospital with the help of locals, Additional Director General of Police, Lucknow Zone, S N Sabat said.

It was raining heavily when the accident took place and this posed some problems in the rescue operation, he said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident and directed officials to extend all possible help to the victims.