UP: Kaushambi road accident death toll rises to 10
Kaushambi (UP), Mar 28 (PTI): The death toll in a road accident involving a pickup vehicle and a trailer truck in Uttar Pradesh's Kaushambi district has risen to 10, police said on Saturday.
The accident occurred on Friday evening near a petrol pump in the Saini area when a pickup vehicle carrying devotees rammed into a stationary trailer truck on a national highway. The victims were returning to Fatehpur after attending a child's tonsure ceremony in Prayagraj and visiting the Maa Sheetla shrine at Kada Dham, officials said.
According to the police, five women and three children, died on the spot, while several others were seriously injured.
Two more women succumbed to their injuries late Friday night at the SRN Hospital in Prayagraj, taking the death toll to 10, Circle Officer Sirathu Santosh Kumar said on Saturday.
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The deceased women have been identified as Maiki (55) and Sindhi (58), he said.
Those who died on Friday were identified as Darshniya (68), Sukhrania (65), Maiki (56), Soni alias Sundari (50), Rajkumari (35), Gudia (27), Kallo (22), Dhruv (7), Anuj (8), and Mayank (10), all residents of Jafarganj in Fatehpur.
Around 28 people were travelling in the pickup vehicle, most of them members of the same family or relatives. Following the incident, over two dozen injured persons were rushed to nearby hospitals, with several referred to Prayagraj for advanced treatment. Currently, 24 injured persons are undergoing treatment, police said.
All the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination, which was conducted during the night, and the bodies have been dispatched to their native village in Fatehpur district, the officer said.
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Police are maintaining a close watch on the situation in the village as the arrival of the bodies is likely to intensify the atmosphere of grief.
Eyewitnesses had earlier reported scenes of panic, with injured passengers lying on the highway and calling for help, following which locals alerted authorities and assisted in rescue efforts.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident, expressed condolences to the bereaved families and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
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He also directed officials to ensure proper medical treatment for all those injured in the accident.
Police said they have registered an FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched a manhunt to trace the absconding trailer-truck driver.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
