By Kavita Mistry 
At least five people, including a two-year-old child, were killed, and 10 others were critically injured after a speeding roadways bus collided with a Maruti Omni van in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district on Sunday morning, officials said.
The accident occurred near Oil town on the state highway connecting Lakhimpur to Lucknow, under the Kheri police station area.
According to officials, construction work was underway on one side of the road, forcing two-way traffic to move on a single lane.
During this time, the bus travelling from Lakhimpur to Lucknow rammed into the van coming from Sitapur.
The impact of the head-on collision was devastating. The van, which had a seating capacity of seven, was carrying 15 passengers at the time, according to police.
Five people died on the spot, while 10 others sustained serious injuries.
The injured were rushed to the district hospital, and six were later referred to Lucknow Trauma Centre for advanced treatment.
District Magistrate Durga Shakti Nagpal and Superintendent of Police Sankalp Sharma reached the hospital shortly after the incident.
They reviewed the medical arrangements and instructed doctors to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured.
“Around five people died, including a two-year-old child. Six patients were referred to Lucknow after initial treatment at the district hospital, and three patients are still undergoing treatment here. We have also spoken to the patients in Lucknow,” Nagpal said while addressing the media.
She added that authoriti
es would look into providing compensation to the victims’ families. “We will also show how maximum compensation can be given to the families. All the family members have been called here, and treatment is underway,” she said.
The top district official also confirmed that 15 people were travelling in the Omni van but insisted that it was not a private vehicle.
The district administration has assured that corrective steps will be taken to prevent such incidents. “We are also going to the site where the accident took place.
We will see how this cause can be removed so that no more accidents occur,” Nagpal said.
A video of the District Magistrate smiling at the accident site later went viral on social media, drawing criticism from some quarters.
Police officials confirmed that passengers on the roadways bus did not sustain injuries. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
– Ends