Five pilgrims travelling from Ayodhya to Varanasi were seriously injured when a speeding truck allegedly hit their SUV from behind on the Ayodhya-Prayagraj Highway here, police said on Saturday.
The accident took place near Kamangarh village in the Kotwali Dehat police station area, the police said, adding that the injured have been referred to a trauma centre in Lucknow.
A total of eight people were travelling in the SUV, of whom three sustained minor injuries.
According to the police, the occupants of the SUV were travelling from Ayodhya to Varanasi after completing their pilgrimage on Friday night when the speeding truck rammed into their vehicle from behind. The impact left the SUV mangled.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Sadar) Vipin Dwivedi visited the hospital to enquire about the condition of the injured.
The police said the truck involved in the accident has been seized, while its driver fled the scene. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest him, the police said.
SHO of the local police station, Dharmveer Singh, said the injured have been identified as Rahul Kumar Tiwari (38), Kalalinda Devi (59), Neha Kumari (35), Satya Narayan Tiwari (62), and the driver, Vikas (35), all residents of the Palamu district in Jharkhand.