LUCKNOW: Four people, including a tractor driver, were killed after a tractor-trolley carrying bricks overturned on the Lucknow-Sultanpur Highway in the Gosaiganj area of Lucknow in the early hours of Saturday.Three of the victims died on the spot, while the fourth succumbed to his injuries while being taken to a trauma centre.The accident occurred around 4.45 am near Gangaganj under the Gosaiganj police station limits. Police said the accident occurred after the hitch pin connecting the tractor to its trolley broke, causing the vehicle to go out of control and overturn onto the highway barricades.The accident was reported to the Gosaiganj police, following which personnel from the police, Fire Services and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) reached the spot. An NHAI crane was used to remove the trolley, after which the tractor was lifted to rescue those trapped beneath it.Police personnel and local residents helped pull the victims out and shifted all four to the Gosaiganj Community Health Centre (CHC) in ambulances.Doctors declared three of them dead on arrival. The fourth victim was in critical condition and was referred to a trauma centre but died on the way.The deceased were identified as Pitambar Rawat, 35, Sandeep Rawat, 25, Pawan Rawat, 25, and Balram Rawat alias Ram Kishore, 20. All four were residents of Barabanki district.Police said Pitambar was driving the tractor, while the other three worked at the brick kiln, loading and unloading bricks. The tractor involved in the accident was being operated at the RBF brick kiln in Achchhakamau village under the Kothi police station area in Barabanki and was owned by a man identified as Deshraj.The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination. Upon receiving information about the accident, the victims’ family members reached the KGMU post-mortem house, said Vasanth Kumar Rallapalli, Additional DCP, South Zone, Lucknow Police Commissionerate.
Victims’ Families Devastated
The youngest victim, 20-year-old Balram, was the sole earning member of his family, according to his father, Ram Suresh. He said the brick kiln was located barely a kilometre from their house and that Balram had left for work with his younger brother, Ram Naval, after receiving a call from the kiln around 3 am.Ram Naval informed the family about the accident around 5 am. By the time they reached the spot, Balram had died.Ram Suresh said his family comprises Balram’s mother and five other children. He appealed to the government for financial assistance, saying the family’s livelihood had been severely affected by his son’s death.
Driver Leaves Behind Three Children
Pitambar Rawat, who was driving the tractor, is survived by his mother, Rama Devi, wife Neelam, daughter Shanti, and two sons, Ankesha and Lilesh.Pawan Rawat worked at the brick kiln loading and unloading bricks. His brother-in-law, Sonu, said Pawan had started working at the kiln along with Sandeep only four days before the accident. Pawan is survived by his mother, Kusuma Devi, wife Sushma, brother Dinesh, and infant daughter Aarohi, who was born in April this year.Sandeep was one of four brothers and three sisters, his brother Sunil said.ADCP South Zone Kumar said further investigation was underway to ascertain the circumstances that led to the tractor-trolley overturning on the highway. Traffic movement was also regulated at the accident site during the rescue operation.
