Three dead, 35 Injured as bus rams truck on Agra-Lucknow Expressway

Three people were killed and 35 others injured when a sleeper bus carrying over 50 passengers rammed into the rear of a truck on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway near Pachore village under Tirwa police station late Saturday night.

The impact of the crash was so severe that the truck mounted the divider while the bus overturned. Moments later, a speeding car crashed into the overturned bus, worsening the situation.

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Among the deceased were the bus driver, Sanju Chaurasia, and MBA student Harsh Anand from Delhi. Chaurasia was found trapped in the mangled steering compartment; despite rescue teams using gas cutters to free him, he was declared dead at the scene.

Anand, who was traveling in the car with a friend, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. Another victim, Ankit, a driver from Mainpuri, died during treatment at Saifai Medical College after initially being admitted to Tirwa Medical College.

Fifteen of the injured are reported to be in critical condition, with one passenger suffering the traumatic loss of both legs.

Emergency services, including local police and Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) teams, rushed to the site. Rescue operations lasted nearly two hours before cranes cleared the wreckage and restored traffic flow.The bus, operated by ‘Safar Express’, was traveling from Delhi to Ballia. Preliminary investigation suggests the driver may have dozed off at the wheel, causing the collision. The truck driver and cleaner fled the spot following the crash.

Kannauj District Magistrate Ashutosh Mohan Agnihotri and Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar visited the injured at Tirwa Medical College. Thirteen passengers with minor injuries were given medical aid and later transported in another bus.