Balrampur, October 18 (TNA) Three people were killed and several others injured after an out-of-control car rammed into a crowd gathered near a Durga Puja pandal in Belha village of Balrampur district late Saturday night, police said.
The accident took place at around 11 pm in the Kotwali Dehat police station area, around 10 km from the district headquarters. Residents had gathered near the pandal to watch a programme on a projector after the evening aarti.
According to preliminary reports, the car was travelling from the Gaura Road side when the driver lost control. The vehicle broke through the temporary tent and struck people sitting and standing near the pandal. At least seven or eight people were hit in the crash. Three victims were declared dead after being taken to hospital, while several injured people were admitted for treatment.
The deceased were identified as Pateshwari Prasad, 42, Manoj Singh, 51, and Ganesh Pandey, 45. The injured included Chhedi Ram, 50, Ghoparam, 31, Dablu, 37, and Mukesh Tiwari, 30, according to local reports.
Two of the injured were reportedly referred to a higher medical centre in Bahraich after their condition was found to be serious. Doctors were monitoring the remaining victims. The car also damaged a motorcycle and the temporary structure at the site. Police seized the vehicle and detained the driver for questioning after the incident.
Police teams reached the spot soon after the crash and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals. An investigation has been launched to determine whether speeding, drunken driving or another factor caused the driver to lose control. The incident left the village in mourning and prompted questions about safety arrangements around temporary festival structures and crowded public gatherings.