At least four people were killed and 32 others injured after a double-decker bus collided with a container truck on the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district early Tuesday morning. The accident took place around 4 a.m. near milestones 112 and 113 under the Raya police station limits while the bus was travelling from Lucknow to Delhi.
According to police, the bus was carrying around 65 passengers, many of whom were asleep when the vehicle crashed into the rear of the container truck. The impact completely mangled the front portion of the bus, trapping several passengers inside. Rescue teams used gas cutters to free the injured during a nearly two-hour operation.
Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar said preliminary investigations indicated that the authorised driver was not behind the wheel at the time of the accident. Instead, the bus conductor was allegedly driving the vehicle at high speed. Authorities also said the bus was carrying passengers beyond its seating capacity.
The deceased have been identified as the bus driver, the conductor, the cleaner and one passenger. The injured were rushed to the district hospital in Mathura, with some later referred to hospitals in Agra and Delhi for specialised treatment. Officials said two to three passengers suffered serious fractures, while the condition of the remaining injured is stable.
District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh and senior police officials visited the hospital and assured all possible assistance to the victims and their families. A detailed investigation has been ordered to determine the exact circumstances leading to the crash.
The latest accident has once again raised concerns over road safety on the Yamuna Expressway, which has witnessed several major accidents in recent years despite repeated calls for stricter enforcement of traffic regulations and better monitoring of commercial vehicles.
