Businessman among 5 killed as SUV rams into truck in Basti

Gorakhpur: A road accident in Basti district claimed five lives, including that of a businessman, when their SUV collided with a container on Monday morning. Three others sustained serious injuries. The victims were en route from Gujarat to Gorakhpur to celebrate Holi, police said.
The accident occurred around 8am near Gotwa under Nagar police station area of Basti district when a container suddenly switched lanes on the highway. Due to the absence of a divider, an SUV coming from opposite direction crashed into the truck. The impact was so severe that the front portion of the SUV was completely crushed, with bodies stuck to the seats, police said.
Upon hearing the commotion, the passersby rushed to the site and informed the police. Police had to use iron rods to cut open the car to rescue the injured passengers and extract the bodies. The injured were admitted to a nearby hospital.
The SUV was registered in Gujarat and was driven by its owner, Premchand Paswan, a businessman from Tarkulahi Jaspur village of Gorakhpur. He operated Vishal Fabrication in Gandhinagar, employing mostly Gorakhpur natives, police said.
Police suspect fatigue as the cause of the accident as the group had been continuously driving from Gujarat. The deceased were identified as Premchand, Shakeel, Baharan, Biswajit, and Shabbir Ali. The injured Chhagur Yadav, Bhual, and Aniruddh are undergoing treatment. Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage to take further action in the case, said SP Abhinandan.