Hardoi, November 12 (TNA) Four members of a family, including a couple and their two young sons, were killed when their SUV crashed into a road divider on the Ganga Expressway in Hardoi district on Wednesday afternoon. The family was travelling to Prayagraj to celebrate Chhath Puja.
The deceased were identified as Saurabh Upadhyay, 40, an executive with Barclays, his wife Menaka Upadhyay, 35, and their sons Vyom, 7, and Shivom, 18 months. The family was returning to their native Prayagraj from Noida.
Police said the accident occurred around 1 pm near kilometre 317 on the Ganga Expressway in the Sandi police station area. The SUV reportedly went out of control and rammed into the central divider. Saurabh and Menaka died on the spot, while the two children were rushed to the hospital in a critical condition. Doctors later declared both children dead.
The family had left Noida for Prayagraj to celebrate Chhath Puja with relatives. Police said the crash occurred near Bhatauli Mafi village in Hardoi district.[ The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination after the accident. The exact cause of the crash is being investigated.
Following the accident, some local residents alleged that help arrived late and staged a protest, overturning a vehicle belonging to the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA). Police said they were investigating the circumstances of the crash, including the speed of the vehicle and the condition of the road at the time of the accident.