2 weeks ago
Eight Labourers Killed, 25 Injured in Pickup-Crash on Bhind Highway
Some farm workers were going home after planting rice in the Gwalior area.
They were riding in a pickup van late at night.
The van was driving very fast on a highway.
Cows were sitting on the road, and the driver tried to swerve to avoid them.
The van then crashed into a big truck coming from the other direction.
Sadly, eight workers died in the crash.
Many other workers were hurt and taken to hospitals, with some moved to a trauma centre in Gwalior.
People say the road is very dangerous because it is narrow and has no divider in the middle.
Locals are asking the government to make the road wider so accidents like this stop happening.
Eight labourers were killed and 23-25 injured when a speeding pickup collided head-on with a dumper/truck on National Highway-719 in Bhind district, Madhya Pradesh.
The accident occurred late Monday night near Chhimka village in Gohad, around midnight to 1 am.
Police said the pickup was travelling at an estimated 80-90 kmph and the driver lost control while trying to avoid cows sitting on the highway.
The 29 labourers were returning to their villages in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, after completing paddy plantation work in the Gwalior region.
Local residents, youths and saints protested and submitted memorandums demanding four-lane widening of NH-719, which is a 117-km two-lane road without a divider.
- Who
- Eight labourers from Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, who were returning home after paddy plantation work in the Gwalior region.
- What
- A speeding pickup carrying 29 workers collided head-on with a dumper/truck near Chhimka village, killing eight and injuring 23-25 others.
- Where
- National Highway-719 near Chhimka village in Gohad, Bhind district, Madhya Pradesh.
- When
- Late Monday night, around midnight to 1 am.
- Why
- Police said the driver, travelling at 80-90 kmph, tried to avoid cows sitting on the highway, lost control and hit the oncoming vehicle; locals also cite the unsafe condition of the two-lane highway without a divider.
Locals and critics
Police and officials
Cause of the accident
Locals and critics
The crash resulted from unsafe road conditions: NH-719 is a narrow two-lane highway without a divider, and heavy traffic from dumpers and overloaded sand and gravel vehicles makes it risky, especially at night.
Police and officials
The pickup was speeding at 80-90 kmph and the driver lost control while trying to avoid cows that suddenly appeared on the highway, making the attempt to dodge cattle the main reason behind the crash.
Highway widening demands
Locals and critics
Locals, youths and saints from Dandraua Dham held protests and road blockades demanding that the highway be widened to four lanes, as no work has started on the ground.
Police and officials
Authorities have claimed that approval has been given and the tender process has started for widening the highway, though work has not yet begun on the ground.
Key facts
- Fatalities
- 8 labourers
- Injured
- 23 (per one report) or 25 (per another)
- Occupants in pickup
- 29 labourers
- Location
- NH-719 near Chhimka village, Gohad, Bhind, Madhya Pradesh
- Vehicles involved
- Pickup van and dumper (described as a truck in one report)
- Estimated pickup speed
- 80-90 kmph
- Workers' origin
- Lakhimpur Kheri district, Uttar Pradesh
- Road
- 117-km two-lane NH-719 without divider, connecting Bhind, Gwalior and Etawah
- Police station
- Gohad Chauraha, Bhind
Quotes
Ramnaresh Yadav
In‑charge police officer at Gohad Chauraha police station
“Some cows were sitting on the highway and the driver tried to avoid them after they suddenly came in front of the vehicle. The pickup swerved and collided head‑on with the oncoming truck.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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