Eight labourers were killed and over 25 others injured after a truck collided with a pick-up vehicle on National Highway-719 in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district, police said on Tuesday. The accident occurred near Chhimka village under the jurisdiction of Gohad Chauraha police station in the district at around midnight. The workers were returning to their homes in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, after completing paddy transplantation work in Dabra and Chinor areas in Gwalior.
"Around 12 midnight, an accident took place on National Highway-719. There were casualties, and around 25 people were injured. They had come to the Dabra and Chinor areas for paddy transplanting work and were returning home in Uttar Pradesh when the accident occurred. Five people died on the spot, while three succumbed while undergoing treatment," said Ramnarsh Yadav, Gohad Chauraha police station in-charge.
The officer said that around 25-26 injured people were brought to the hospital, with some reported to be in critical condition while others were stable. The injured have been admitted to Gwalior Trauma Centre hospital and are undergoing treatment. "The accident happened near Chhimka village, involving a truck and a loading vehicle in which the workers were travelling. Immediately after the accident, police and passing motorists helped rescue those trapped. Everyone has been admitted to the hospital.
The victims are residents of Uttar Pradesh," the police station in-charge said. The exact cause of the accident was yet to be established. It is a matter of investigation, and the reason will be known after the investigation, he added. Meanwhile, one of the injured said that they were all men, residents of Lakhimpur Kheri in UP and were returning to their homes after paddy transplantation work. They left Chinor at around 7 pm and met with an accident at around 12:30 am. A truck hit them from the front, resulting in their vehicle overturning, in which some people died and others sustained injuries.
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