- Representational photo.
NEW DELHI: (Bernama) At least 17 people, including children and women, were killed and 16 injured in a road accident in India's Uttar Pradesh state on Friday (Sept 6).
The victims were travelling in a van that was hit by a state transport bus in the Hathras district.
"The bus hit the van while trying to overtake it on the Agra-Aligarh national highway," senior police official Nipun Agarwal was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The victims were travelling from the Sasni area of Hathras to Khandauli town in Agra after attending a Muslim family ceremony in memory of a deceased person, according to reports.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia amount of 200,000 rupees (RM10,320) each to the families of the deceased and 50,000 rupees to every injured person.
The Uttar Pradesh state government has offered similar compensation.
Reckless driving and poor road conditions are among the major causes of traffic accidents in the country.
A total of 461,312 road accidents were recorded in India in 2022, resulting in 168,491 deaths and injuries to 443,366 people, according to official data. - Bernama
