At least 26 people were killed while several injured after a tractor-trolley carrying devotees overturned and fell into a pond near a village in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur district on Saturday evening.
The devotees, all residents of Kortha village under Sadh police circle, had gone to the Chandrika Devi temple in Fatehpur in the tractor-trolley. There were about 40 people in the vehicle. While returning, the trolley overturned into a roadside pond between Sadh and Gambhirpur village.
The injured were rushed to a community health centre (CHC) in Bhitargaon. The police and senior officials have reached the spot and are supervising the rescue operation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have expressed grief over the incident.
"Distressed by the tractor-trolley mishap in Kanpur. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. Prayers with the injured. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected," Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet.
"The road accident in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh is very sad and heart-wrenching. The local administration is providing treatment to the injured. I express my condolences on the irreparable loss of those who have lost their loved ones in this incident. May God give strength to his family to bear this loss," Shah said in a tweet.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed officials to provide proper treatment to those injured in the accident.The Chief Minister also appealed people to not carry passengers on tractor-trolley. He asserted that tractor-trolley should be used only for agricultural works and freight. "Life is priceless, please don't be careless," he said in a tweet.