4 killed, 21 injured in collision between state bus, tanker in UP’s Hathras

Four people were killed and 21 injured as a state bus and a tanker collided head on near Samamai village on the Aligarh-Agra highway in this Uttar Pradesh district on Thursday, officials said.

The injured were taken to the district hospital, from where four of them were referred to another facility in Aligarh, they said.

The accident took place around 4.30 pm when the roadways bus travelling from Aligarh towards Hathras collided with the tanker coming from the opposite direction. The bus driver reportedly swerved to avoid hitting a motorcycle, resulting in the collision near Samamai within the Sasni police station limits, according to police.

Some of the passengers jumped out of the bus in panic. Police and local authorities first shifted the injured to the community health centre in Sasni and later to the district hospital.

Senior officials visited the accident site and the hospital.

District Magistrate (DM) Atul Vats and Superintendent of Police (SP) Chiranjiv Sinha visited the hospital to meet the injured and directed Chief Medical Officer (in-charge) Dr Rajiv Rai and Chief Medical Superintendent Dr Surya Prakash to ensure proper medical care for them.

The deceased were identified as Kuldeep (12), Maharaj Singh (50), Sonu (52) and Arjun (32), the bus conductor.

"The accident occurred when the bus driver tried to save a biker, leading to a collision with the tanker. Twelve injured people have been brought here and the deaths of three people have been confirmed. A woman trapped under the bus was rescued. Efforts are being made to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured," the DM told reporters.

Subsequently, one more injured person succumbed to injuries, taking the death toll to four, according to police.

Police also revised the tally of those injured in the incident, saying 21 people (besides the four dead) were hurt and four of them have been referred to Aligarh.

Further legal proceedings in the case have been initiated, they added.