7 pilgrims from UP die in auto-truck collision in Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL: Seven pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh were killed after their autorickshaw collided with a truck in MP's Chhattarpur district early Tuesday morning. Among the dead is a 1.5-year-old girl.

There were 13 people, including the driver, in the auto. They hailed from Lucknow and Farrukhabad and were travelling 320-370km to Gadha village in MP where Bageshwar Dham is located. The accident took place on NH-39 near Kadari village, around 20km short of the ashram.

"It's not yet clear if the truck was parked or moving when the autorickshaw collided with it. We received information around 5am and rushed to the spot. All the injured were taken to hospital. Five people had died on the spot, and two died during treatment," Civil Lines police station in charge, Valmiki Dubey, told TOI. Six pilgrims have sustained severe injuries and are under treatment at Chhatarpur district hospital, around 370km from Bhopal.

Those who died on the spot are Farrukhabad residents Lalu Shrivastav, 37, Manu Shrivastav, 25, Govind Shrivastav, 35, and Nanhi Shrivastav, 60, and auto driver Prem Narayan Kushwaha, 34, who was from Hamirpur. Janardan Yadav, 45, and the baby, Ashvi Yadav, who were from Lucknow died in hospital.