2 kanwariyas killed, 10 hurt as tractor-trolley overturns in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur

Hapur: Two kanwariyas were killed and 10 more injured after their tractor-trolley overturned in Hapur in western Uttar Pradesh, police said on Friday.

The kanwariyas (Shiva devotees), residents of Ghaziabad, were travelling to Brajghat in Hapur to fetch water from the Ganga.

The driver of the tractor-trolley lost control over the vehicle and it overturned on a highway in the Babu Garh area late Thursday. The trolley was carrying more than 20 kanwariyas at the time of the crash, police said.

Those hurt in the accident were taken to a hospital in police vehicles. Some kanwariyas, whose injuries were severe, were referred to Meerut for medical treatment, they said.

Babu Garh police station in-charge Vijay Gupta said, "Police reached the spot immediately and admitted the injured to the hospital. Due to the serious condition of some, they were referred to Meerut for adequate treatment."

"Unfortunately, two young men, Saurabh and Chirag, died during treatment," he said and added that their bodies have been sent for post-mortem, and families informed.

Gupta said a probe is under way to ascertain the cause of the accident.

The Hindu holy month of Shravan started on July 22, with the Shravan Shivratri celebration on August 2. During this period, devotees perform the ritual of 'Jalabhishek' at Shiva temples every Monday after collecting water from the Ganga.