NEW DELHI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- At least 18 people were killed and 19 others injured Wednesday after a double-decker bus carrying them crashed into a milk tanker in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said.
The accident took place on the Lucknow-Agra expressway near Gadha village in Unnao district, about 68 km west of Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh.
According to police, the double-decker bus traveling from Bihar's Sitamarhi to Delhi rammed into the milk container from behind.
"Today at around 5:15 a.m. (local time), a private bus coming from Motihari-Bihar collided with a milk tanker on the national highway here. Eighteen people lost their lives and around 19 others were injured in the accident," Unnano district magistrate, Gaurang Rathi told media. "Initial investigation points out that the bus was overspeeding."
Rathi said the injured were being treated at the nearest health facility and later referred to the district hospital.
Immediately after the accident, locals informed police, who later rushed rescue teams and ambulances to the spot to ferry the injured to the hospital.
"By the time we arrived on the spot, some locals were helping injured come out of the damaged bus," a police official said. "The damaged bus and the milk tanker have been removed from the road using a crane."
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed anguish over the accident and directed the officials to ensure proper treatment of the injured.
Police have registered a case and ordered an investigation to ascertain the cause of the crash.
Deadly road accidents are common in India often caused due to overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving.
Around 150,000 people are killed every year in about half a million road accidents across India, officials said. ■
