Lucknow, July 1 (IANS) Five people were killed, and dozens were injured after a bus collided with a car on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district on Wednesday morning, officials said.

According to the preliminary investigation, the horrific accident was caused by the bus driver dozing off at the wheel.

The injured have been taken to the nearest hospital for treatment.

The accident occurred near kilometre marker 230.800 on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, within the jurisdiction of the Bangarmau police station in Unnao district.

A speeding bus was travelling from Haryana to Bihar when it suddenly lost control, collided with a car, and overturned a few meters away. The impact of the collision completely wrecked the car.

Officials said that nine people were inside the car at the time of the accident. Five of them died on the spot, while three others sustained serious injuries.

The injured were initially taken to the Bangarmau Community Health Centre; following first aid, they were referred to the Lucknow Trauma Centre due to their critical condition.

The deceased have been identified as Dhunmun (60), the driver Vinod (45), Anju (40), Amrita (13), and Divya (6).

More than 17 passengers on the bus were also injured when it overturned. Most sustained minor injuries. All the injured received treatment at a local hospital, and the process of discharging several passengers began after they received initial medical care.

Upon receiving news of the accident, police, administrative officials, and rescue teams rushed to the scene. The District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police inspected the accident site, visited the hospital to check on the injured, and reviewed the medical arrangements.

The Superintendent of Police’s Public Relations Officer stated that preliminary investigations point to the bus driver dozing off as the cause of the accident. The police cleared the damaged vehicles to restore normal traffic flow.

The bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem examinations.

The police are currently conducting a detailed investigation into the matter.

Further details are awaited.

–IANS

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