Jaipur, 13 August

A pickup van crashed into a parked truck in Rajasthan's Dausa district in the early hours of Wednesday, killing 11 people, including seven children, and injuring eight others, police said.

The passengers of the pickup vehicle were returning to their village in Uttar Pradesh's Etah after visiting Khatu Shyam and Salasar Balaji temple when the accident occurred on Manoharpur highway around 4-5 am, Dausa Superintendent of Police Sagar told PTI.

Seven children and four women died in the accident, he said.

Of the 11 killed, seven have been identified as Poorvi, 3, Daksh, 12, Seema, 25, Priyanka, 25, Anshu, 26, Saurabh, 28, and Sheela, 35, according to officials.

Twenty people were on board the pickup vehicle when it rammed into a stationary truck in the service lane of the highway, the SP said, adding that one of the eight injured is in critical condition.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident.

In a post on X in Hindi, the CM said, “The news of loss of life in a horrific road accident in Dausa is extremely tragic. The district administration has been directed to ensure prompt and proper treatment for the injured. May God grant a place at His divine feet to the departed souls and provide speedy recovery to the injured.”

CM Sharma has instructed officials to ensure proper arrangements for the treatment of the injured.

Meanwhile, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and other leaders also express sorrow over the incident.