Six killed, 2 injured as car crashes into tree in Kushinagar

Six people, including four members of the family, were killed and two others sustained critical injuries after a car rammed into a tree in Kushinagar district on Sunday night, police informed on Monday.

According to police reports, the accident occurred around 11:30 pm near Bhauji Shukla village, when a four-wheeler carrying eight passengers was on its way from Padrauna to Khadda for a wedding ceremony. The collision was so intense that rescue teams had to deploy cutters to extract the injured and deceased from the wreckage.

Three passengers died on the spot, while three others succumbed to their injuries during treatment at the Community Health Centre (CHC). The deceased have been identified as Harendra, Yogendra, Ranjeet, Mukesh, Behem Luxman Yadav, and the car driver, Om Prakash— all aged between 24 and 30 years.

The two critically injured people, Rajkishor and Bajrangi, have been referred to BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur for advanced treatment.

Kushinagar Police Station in-charge, Deepak Kumar Singh, who led the rescue operation, stated that preliminary investigations have ruled out alcohol consumption as a contributing factor in the crash.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath expressed profound grief over the incident. He directed district authorities to ensure immediate medical care for the injured and to provide all necessary support to the bereaved families.

An investigation into the exact cause of the accident is currently underway, said police.

Meanwhile, on Monday evening, a heart-rending scene unfolded at Ragar Ghanj Ghat on the banks of the Choti Gandak river in the district, where the deceased were cremated together on a single pyre. Emotions ran high as the mourners wept inconsolably during the last rites.