As many as 26 people, including women and children, were killed and 30 others injured when the tractor-trolley carrying them fell into a roadside ditch filled with water in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur district, about 90 kilometres from here.
The mishap occurred on Saturday evening when the devotees were returning home in the tractor-trolley after taking part in a religious function at a temple in the neighbouring Unnao district, according to the police sources here.
Sources said that the tractor-trolley was packed with the people. Eye witnesses said that the trolley overturned after falling into the ditch, which was filled with water, trapping the people under it.
By the time the locals and the rescue teams reached the spot, many women and children among the devotees had already died, the sources said. All the deceased were women and children, the police officials said. The injured were admitted to the district hospital where the condition of some of them was stated to be critical.
Some reports said that the driver of the tractor was in an inebriated state and lost control over the vehicle while negotiating a sharp turn near Bhadeuna village.
The government suspended the in-charge of the local police station on charges of laxity in carrying out rescue operations.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited the native village of the victims and met their kin. The state government announced an ex-gratia relief of rs. two lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased. A piece of land and further compensation of rs. four lakh were also announced for the next of the kin of the deceased by the authorities.
Adityanath appealed to the people not to use tractor-trolleys for carrying people.