Bulandshahr: At least eight people were killed and more than forty others injured in a devastating collision between a container truck and a tractor-trolley on National Highway 34 near the Bulandshahr–Aligarh border in Uttar Pradesh early Monday morning.

The accident took place around 2:15 a.m. near the Arnia bypass when a speeding container truck rammed into a tractor-trolley carrying pilgrims, causing it to overturn. Officials confirmed that the victims included two women and a child, while several of the injured were children.

According to police reports, the tractor-trolley was carrying about 60 to 61 pilgrims from Rafatpur village in Kasganj district. They were on their way to Gogamedi in Rajasthan to pay homage to Gogaji, a folk deity revered across northern India. The impact of the collision was so severe that the tractor-trolley overturned, leaving bodies and injured passengers scattered on the road.

Emergency responders, including local police and health officials, rushed to the scene and transported the injured to various hospitals in Bulandshahr, Aligarh Medical College, and Kailash Hospital in Khurja. Authorities stated that at least three people remain in critical condition and are currently on ventilator support.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Rural) Dinesh Kumar Singh confirmed the casualty figures and said that the container truck involved in the crash has been seized. The truck driver reportedly fled the scene, and a search has been launched to trace him. District Magistrate Shruti, along with senior police officials, visited the site of the accident and later checked on the condition of the injured in hospitals.

The state government has expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives. Officials have assured that compensation and medical assistance will be provided to the victims’ families.

This incident has once again highlighted the dangers of using tractor-trolleys, which are not designed for passenger transport but continue to be used widely in rural areas for pilgrim journeys. Similar tragedies in the past, including the 2022 Kanpur accident that claimed 27 lives, had led authorities to promise stricter enforcement of road safety measures.

Police have launched a full investigation into the accident, and authorities have called for urgent steps to curb unsafe travel practices on highways.