Three doctors among 5 killed as SUV rams into divider in UP's Kannauj

Kannauj (UP), Nov 27 (PTI) Three doctors and two staff of a government hospital were killed on Wednesday when a speeding SUV in which they were travelling rammed into a divider and then collided with a truck on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway early Wednesday, police said.

The incident took place around 3 am in Tirwa area of Kannauj district when the doctors and the hospital staff were returning to Saifai after attending a wedding function in Lucknow, they said, adding all the victims were affiliated with the Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences in Saifai "The SUV first crashed into the median divider. It subsequently crossed over to the oncoming lane, where it collided with a truck. As a result, the three doctors, one lab technician and a store manager died on the spot. Another person, a PG student, suffered serious injuries and was rushed to Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Medical College in Tirwa," Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Anand said.

The deceased have been identified as Dr Anirudh Verma, 29, from Agra; Dr Arun Kumar, 34, from Kannauj; Dr Narendra Dev, 35, from Bareilly; lab technician Santosh Kumar Maurya, 46, from Bhadohi and store manager Rakesh Kumar, 38.

Circle Officer of Tirwa Priyanka Bajpai said the injured, Jaiveer Singh, 39, from Moradabad, has been admitted to the Tirwa Medical College.

Meanwhile, family members of Dr Anirudh Verma in Agra are devastated by the loss. Anirudh's father, Dr Pawan Kumar Verma, immediately left for Kannauj after he came to know about the accident.

Shailendra Singh Verma, Anirudh's maternal uncle, said the family was discussing about Anirudh's marriage before the devastating accident. "It's a great loss to our family," he added.

In Kannauj, the death of Dr Arun Kumar left his native Gochipur village grief-stricken. Arun is survived by his father, who served as the village head, six sisters, and three brothers.

In Bareilly, the accident that claimed Dr Narendra Dev's life has deeply affected local residents of Gangwar Colony in Nawabganj. His family, including his wife Suman, a teacher, and his brother Yagyadev, rushed to Kannauj upon hearing the news.

Meanwhile, lab technician Santosh Kumar Maurya's parents and his wife, also a lab technician, have left for Kannauj to get the body.

Police said the bodies will be handed over to their respective families after postmortem. PTI COR CDN KVK KVK KVK