Eight dead, 43 injured as truck hits pilgrim tractor-trolley on NH 34

Eight people were killed and 43 injured when a canter truck rear-ended a tractor-trolley carrying pilgrims on National Highway 34 near the Arnia bypass on the Bulandshahr–Aligarh border in the early hours of Monday. The tractor-trolley, reportedly carrying about 60 to 61 people traveling from Rafatpur village in Kasganj district to a pilgrimage site in Rajasthan, overturned after the impact. Emergency crews rushed the injured to hospitals, including a private facility, while the bodies were sent for postmortem.

Officials described the sequence of events as follows: the canter truck struck the back of the tractortrolley from behind, causing it to overturn and scatter passengers along the roadside. The incident occurred around 2.10 am, with some reports noting a similar timeline of about 2.15 am. The collision left several people injured in serious condition, three of whom were reported to be on ventilator support. Among the deceased were a child and two women, underscoring the human toll of the crash.

Police and rescue teams acted quickly to secure the scene, move victims to medical facilities, and begin a preliminary inquiry. The truck involved in the crash is in police custody...