“Eight people, including four of a family, were killed in a road accident on the Varanasi-Lucknow Highway in this Uttar Pradesh district on October 4,” police said.
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“A nine-year-old boy was severely injured in the accident and is undergoing treatment,” Station House Officer (SHO), Phulpur, Deepak Ranawat said.
“The accident occurred in the Karkhiyav area under the Phulpur police station when the sports utility vehicle (SUV) of the victims collided with a truck,” police said.
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“Four members of a family, two of another family, the driver of the SUV and another person were killed in the accident,” they added. Police had initially said all the victims belonged to the same family.
The victims were identified as Vipin Yadav (32), his mother Ganga Devi (48), Mahendra Pal (43), his wife Chandrakali (40), brother Damodar Prasad (35) and his wife Nirmala Devi (32), Rajendra (55) and driver Anand (24).
They were from Pilibhit district and had come to Varanasi on a hired taxi. The accident occurred when they were going toward Jaunpur. “The 9-year-old injured boy is the son of Damodar Prasad,” the SHO said.
“While Mahendra Pal and his relatives had come to Varanasi to immerse the ashes of a family member in the Ganga, the others were there to pay obeisance at temples,” police said, adding that the bodies have been sent for post-mortem.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident and directed the district administration to ensure proper treatment of the boy.