UP: Four killed, five injured as SUV plunges into pond in Fatehpur

Fatehpur (UP), Oct 8 (PTI) Four men were killed and five others seriously injured after a speeding SUV fell into a pond near a toll plaza on the Kanpur-Prayagraj National Highway in Fatehpur district on Wednesday, police said.

The incident took place when the victims were returning to Prayagraj after attending a wedding ceremony in Kanpur. As they reached near the Barauri toll plaza, the vehicle plunged into the pond after the driver allegedly dozed off, they said.

However, the driver told police that the vehicle started wobbling moments before the accident, suggesting a possible tyre burst.

After getting information, police teams rushed to the spot and pulled the vehicle out of the pond with the help of locals.

Four passengers drowned in the accident, while five others, including the driver, were pulled out safely with the help of locals, police said.

The injured were taken to a nearby hospital from where they were referred to Kanpur for advanced medical care, while the bodies of the deceased were sent to a mortuary for post-mortem.

The deceased have been identified as Sahil Gupta (26), Shivam Sahu (28), Ritesh Sonkar (28) and Rahul Keserwani (25) – all residents of Khuldabad in Prayagraj.

Recounting the moments before the accident, Rahul Kumar, the driver, said, "As soon as we reached Fatehpur, the vehicle started wobbling. I thought the tyre pressure might be low. About 10 minutes before the accident, we stopped just before the Barauri toll plaza to check the tyres.

“As everything seemed fine, we moved ahead. But barely 300 metres from the spot, the tyre suddenly burst, and the vehicle went out of control and overturned.” The families of the deceased have been informed, police said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has condoled the loss of lives and directed the concerned officials to provide best medical facilities to the injured. PTI COR ABN ARI