Five persons were killed while several were reportedly injured after a speeding truck lost its balance and rammed into a group of people who had gathered on road here to rescue a biker, who was hit by a speeding car.
The incident took place late on Saturday night near Pangi Khurd village under the jurisdiction of Lakhimpur Sadar Kotwali police circle. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed condolences at the loss of lives and instructed District Magistrate Mahendra Bahadur Singh to ensure best possible treatment of the survivors.
"The death toll may increase as the condition of two persons is extremely critical. They have been referred to a medical centre in Lucknow," said a medical officer.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Kheri Ganesh Prasad Saha said, "The accident occurred possibly because the steering wheel of the truck failed or the truck driver could not see the people on the road. We are trying to ascertain the exact reason." The bodies have been sent for post-mortem.