11 from UP killed as pickup van rams into truck in Rajasthan's Dausa; president expresses grief

JAipur, A getaway caravan crashed into a parked motortruck in Rajasthan's Dausa territory in the betimes hours of Wednesday, killing 11 Uttar Pradesh residents, including seven children, and injuring eight others, police said. The passengers of the pickup vehicle were returning to their village in Uttar Pradesh's Etah after visiting Khatu Shyam and Salasar Balaji temples when the accident occurred on Manoharpur highway around 4 am, Dausa SP Sagar told PTI. Seven children and four women died in the accident, he said. Dausa Deputy SP Raviprakash Sharma said the deceased have been identified as Mishthi , Babu , Poorvi , Lakshay , Vaishnavi , Mahak , Saloni , Sheela , Priyanka , Seema and Sonam. Twenty people were on board the pickup vehicle when it rammed into the stationary truck on the service lane of the highway, the SP said, adding that one of the eight injured is in a critical condition. Expressing grief over the incident, President Droupadi Murmu called the loss of lives very tragic and prayed for the recovery of those injured. "The news of the death of many people, including women and children, in a road accident in Dausa, Rajasthan, is very tragic. I express my deep condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured in this accident," the president said in a post on X in Hindi. Dr Anurag Dhakar from the SMS Hospital in Jaipur, where some injured people were rushed, said, “Around 10 injured, including three women and three children, were brought here. Of them, one woman, Seema Devi, died while her husband Manoj is in the ICU.” Three patients suffered head injuries, while one of the three children is critical, Dhakar said. Meanwhile, a stunned silence fell over Asrauli village in Etah as news came that 11 of its residents were killed in the road crash in Rajasthan. District Magistrate Prem Ranjan Singh, along with the SSP and other officials, visited the bereaved families and assured all possible assistance. Large crowds of leaders, well-wishers and locals gathered in Asrauli to console the grieving families. "We have sent a team from Etah to Dausa to support the victims' relatives. The bodies will be brought back to Etah," Singh said. In view of the tragedy, the Lodhi Mahasabha has postponed the Virangana Rani Avantibai Lodhi Shobhayatra in Etah that was scheduled for August 16. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident. In a post on X in Hindi, the chief minister said, “The news of loss of lives in a horrific road accident in Dausa is extremely tragic. The district administration has been directed to ensure prompt and proper treatment for the injured. May god grant a place at his divine feet to the departed souls and provide speedy recovery to the injured.” Sharma has instructed the concerned officials to ensure proper arrangements for the treatment of the injured. Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani also expressed deep sorrow over the tragic accident, and prayed for peace of the departed souls and speedy recovery of the injured, an official statement said. Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and other leaders also express sorrow over the incident. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.