Six killed in Palwal crash as pilgrim van hits parked truck on KMP Expressway

Fatal collision on KMP Expressway

At least six people were killed and 14 others injured after a pick-up van carrying pilgrims rammed into a truck parked on the roadside of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway near Maheshpur village in Palwal, Haryana, early Tuesday, police said.

The deceased were identified as Vijay Singh, Raj Kumar, Reshma Devi, Kamla Devi, Sudha and Mahesh, according to police. The injured are undergoing treatment at the civil hospital in Palwal.

Inspector Hari Kishan, station house officer of Palwal Sadar police station, said the accident took place around 5:30 am. “Soon after the collision, the driver of the illegally parked truck started the vehicle and sped away from the spot leaving behind all the injured victims,” he said. He added that police were scanning CCTV footage of the expressway to trace the truck’s registration number and identify the driver, and that an FIR was being registered.

Pilgrims returning from Rajasthan

Police said at least 20 residents of Kishanpur Muraiya, Makoaya, Chanda and neighbouring villages in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri district had left for a pilgrimage after hiring the van and converting its rear section into two decks for sleeping. The group had travelled to the Khatu Shyam temple in Sikar and Salasar Balaji temple in Churu, both in Rajasthan, on Monday and was on its way to Mathura via Palwal to visit Vrindavan when the crash occurred.

A senior police officer said the impact was so intense that the Bolero was wrecked and several pilgrims were trapped inside. “Most of those who died were extricated after 20 to 40 minutes of efforts from the wreck,” he said, adding that most of the pilgrims were asleep at the time. Multiple emergency response vehicles, police, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) patrol teams and ambulances were pressed into action, and some of the injured were in critical condition and may be shifted to other hospitals.

Investigation and search for drivers

The truck driver fled the scene along with the vehicle after the collision, and the driver of the pickup van is also absconding, police said. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway. Police have taken custody of the bodies and sent them for post-mortem examinations, and are working to trace both missing drivers and establish the circumstances that led to the collision.

Earlier reports from ANI and NewsX had put the death toll at five and the number of injured at 15, with the victims described as devotees returning to Vrindavan after visiting temples in Rajasthan. Those reports also said the victims hailed from Kisanpur Muraiya, Makoya, Chanda and adjoining villages in Mainpuri district, and that the pickup had rammed into the rear of a parked truck, completely wrecking the vehicle.