5 killed as dumper rams tempo in Sambhal

Five people, including two young siblings, were killed and five others injured after a sand-laden dumper collided with a tempo in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district on Sunday morning, police said.

The accident took place around 9 am near Bamnetta village, around two kilometres from the district headquarters, on the Agra-Moradabad National Highway. The collision was so severe that the front portion of the tempo was badly damaged, trapping the driver inside.

According to eyewitnesses, the tempo was travelling in its lane when an e-rickshaw moving ahead suddenly took a U-turn. The dumper, which was coming from the opposite direction, allegedly swerved to avoid the e-rickshaw before crashing into the tempo.

The impact reportedly threw the tempo nearly 10 feet away. The dumper then went out of control, hit a roadside tree and overturned.

Local residents rushed to the spot and helped rescue people trapped in the damaged vehicles. Bahjoi station house officer Rajeev Kumar Malik and a police team reached the location shortly afterwards.

The injured were taken by ambulance to the Bahjoi community health centre. Doctors declared four people dead on arrival, while another victim later succumbed to injuries during treatment.

Police identified the deceased as tempo driver Saudan Pal, 40, his associate Ruvaid, 30, three-month-old Aaradhya, her eight-year-old brother Dhruv, and their 20-year-old maternal aunt Rohini.

Five other people injured in the crash were taken to hospital for medical treatment. Their condition was not immediately available.

Sambhal police said the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination after inquest proceedings. The damaged tempo and overturned dumper were removed from the highway to restore traffic movement.

Police have begun investigating the circumstances that led to the collision, including the movement of the e-rickshaw and the dumper’s alleged attempt to avoid it.

Officials said traffic on the highway was restored and movement was continuing normally. Further legal action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.

The tragic accident has once again raised concerns about road safety on busy highways, particularly where sudden turns by smaller vehicles can create dangerous situations for heavy vehicles travelling in the opposite direction.