Lakhimpur Kheri road accident: Death toll rises to six; 17-yr-old boy succumbs to injuries

The death toll in the tragic Lakhimpur Kheri road accident, in which a truck ran over a group of people standing on the roadside along the Kheri-Bahraich highway, now stands at six, police said on Sunday.

The accident took place on Saturday when a speeding truck mowed down a group that had gathered at the Gola Behraich Highway in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri following a minor collision between a car and a scooter, they said.

Five people died on the spot and a 17-year-old boy, identified as Rohit Kumar, succumbed to injuries during treatment at a hospital, police said. Most of the deceased were residents of Pangi Khurd village.

Kheri District Magistrate Mahendra Bahadur Singh identified the people killed on the spot as Karan Kumar (14), Paras (85), Rizwan (16), Karunesh Verma (35) and Virendra Kumar Verma (50).

Singh said Rohit Kumar, Jagat Pal and Archana were taken to Lucknow as their condition was critical.

According to police, Rohit Kumar died during treatment later.

Expressing grief over the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has given instructions to ensure proper treatment of the injured.

Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party also expressed their condolences and urged the UP government to give compensation to the families of the victims.

Kheri Superintendent of Police Ganesh Prasad Saha, along with other police officials, reached the spot and supervised the rescue operations. 

The exact reason behind the truck losing control is yet to be ascertained, and police are probing into the matter.