At least 11 people were killed and several others were injured in two separate road accidents in Pilibhit and Chitrakoot districts of Uttar Pradesh in the early hours of Friday, police said.
In Pilibhit, the accident took place in the Neora area on the Tanakpur road when a vehicle carrying 11 people tried to overtake another vehicle and lost control, crashing into a tree. The vehicle then plunged into a ditch, police said.
Rescue operations lasted over an hour and a half, involving the use of a bulldozer to remove a fallen tree that had trapped the car following which passengers were extricated and rushed to a nearby hospital, said Superintendent of Police (Pilibhit) Avinash Kumar Pandey.
The deceased were identified as Munni (65), Manzoor Ahmed (60), Bahiuddin (55), Sharif Ahmed (60), Sahe Alam (35), and Rakim (11), the SP said. Three of the injured were referred to a more advanced medical centre, while two were discharged after receiving initial treatment, he added.
Neora SHO, Roopa Bisht said the victims, residents of Jamour village in Uttarakhand's Khatima district, were returning from a post-wedding ritual in Pilibhit’s Chandoi village, where Anwar and Husna Bibi had tied the knot.
In the second accident, five people were killed in Chitrakoot after the car they were travelling in collided head-on with a truck in the Raipura Police Station area, police said.
Superintendent of Police Arun Kumar Singh said the accident occurred around 5:30 am on Friday when the car, carrying 11 people, was travelling from Prayagraj, while the truck was coming from Raipura.
"The injured are undergoing treatment at a local hospital and will be referred to the district hospital for further care," the SP added.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. He also directed district officials to expedite relief efforts and ensure proper assistance to those affected.
Further legal proceedings are underway in both cases, according to the police.