Palwal: 6 killed after van carrying pilgrims collides with truck on KMP eway

At least six persons were killed while 14 others got injured after a pick-up van carrying pilgrims rammed into a truck parked illegally on the roadside of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway near Maheshpur village in Palwal early Tuesday, police said.

The deceased were identified as Vijay Singh, Raj Kumar, Reshma Devi, Kamla Devi, Sudha and Mahesh, police said. The injured victims are undergoing treatment at civil hospital in Palwal.

Inspector Hari Kishan, station house officer (SHO) of Palwal Sadar police station, said the accident took place around 5:30am on Tuesday.

“Soon after the collision, the driver of the illegally parked truck started the vehicle and sped away from the spot leaving behind all the injured victims,” he said.

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“We are scanning CCTV camera footage of the expressway to trace the truck’s registration number to ascertain the identity of the driver and trace him,” he said, adding an FIR was under process of being registered against him in the case.

Police officials said at least 20 residents of Kishanpur Muraiya, Makoaya, Chanda and neighbouring villages in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri district had left for a pilgrimage after hiring the van and converting its rear section into two decks for sleeping.

The group had travelled to the Khatu Shyam temple in Sikar and Salasar Balaji temple in Churu, both in Rajasthan on Monday and was travelling to reach Mathura via Palwal to visit Vrindavan when the crash took place.

A senior police officer said that the impact of the collision was so intense that the Bolero was wrecked and several of the pilgrims were trapped inside it.

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“Most of those who died were extricated after 20 to 40 minutes of efforts from the wreck,” he said.

He said that most of the pilgrims were asleep when the crash took place.

“Soon, multiple emergency response vehicles, police and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) patrol teams and ambulances were pressed into action for the rescue work,” he said, adding some of the injured pilgrims were in critical condition and may be shifted to other hospitals for better treatment.