At least 18 sleeping laborers killed in India road accident
New Delhi, July 28 (EFE).- At least 18 people were killed on Wednesday when a speeding truck rammed into a double-decker bus parked on a roadside in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said.
The accident, which took place on a highway shortly after midnight, left 18 more wounded.
Most of the victims were migrant laborers who were relaxing on the roadside in front of the bus that had broken down and was being fixed.
The double-decker bus was parked near a highway eatery in Barabanki, some 600 km (375 miles) north of the Indian capital, police officer Shashi Kant told EFE.
“Passengers were relaxing and sleeping on the roadside until the problem in their vehicle was fixed,” Kant said.
He said a truck hit the bus from behind.
“Eighteen people sleeping on the roadside were killed. Eighteen more were injured.”
The injured laborers were taken to a nearby hospital, and a rescue operation was on, the officer said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed solidarity with the families of the victims.
Road accidents on generally treacherous roads of India are frequent due to the poor conditions of highways, poor maintenance of public transport vehicles, and the lack of respect for traffic regulations.
In 2019, more than 151,000 people lost their lives, and over 451,000 were injured in some 449,000 road accidents in India, the latest data from the federal ministry of road transport and highways showed. EFE
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