Ten people have died and several others sustained injuries in two separate road accidents in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and Barabanki districts on Tuesday, 26 May, prompting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to take immediate cognisance and direct officials to provide relief to the affected families. The accidents occurred within hours of each other on two major expressways, raising fresh concerns about road safety on UP's high-speed corridors.

The Unnao Accident

A bus carrying over 30 passengers from Delhi to Bihar lost control and overturned at the 262-kilometre mark of the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, within the jurisdiction of the Auras Police Station in Unnao. The accident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday. Five people died on the spot, while one passenger was declared 'brought dead' at the hospital, taking the toll from this accident to six. Several others fell off the expressway and sustained severe injuries.

Critically injured passengers were referred to the Lucknow Trauma Centre for advanced treatment. According to officials, preliminary investigation suggests the driver fell asleep at the wheel, causing the vehicle to lose control.

The Barabanki Accident

In a separate incident, four pilgrims died and three others were seriously injured when a car en route to Kainchi Dham crashed into the rear of a trailer on the Sultanpur-Lucknow Expressway near Bhikhra village in the Haidergarh Police Station area at around 2:00 a.m. The car was completely wrecked in the collision. The injured were first taken to a Community Health Centre before being referred to the KGMU Trauma Centre.

CM Yogi's Directives

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed deep grief over the fatalities and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families. He directed officials to reach the accident sites immediately and expedite relief and rescue operations, ensuring proper medical treatment for all injured. The Chief Minister also instructed officials to provide appropriate compensation to the families of the deceased.

Road Safety Context

This is not an isolated occurrence. Uttar Pradesh's expressways — despite being among the country's most modern — have repeatedly witnessed fatal accidents, often attributed to driver fatigue, overspeeding, and poor early-morning visibility. The Agra-Lucknow Expressway in particular has seen multiple high-casualty crashes over the past two years. Notably, both Tuesday's accidents involved long-distance overnight travel, a pattern that authorities have previously flagged as a high-risk window. The back-to-back tragedies are likely to intensify pressure on the state government to enforce stricter driver fatigue regulations and enhance highway patrol during late-night hours.

Rescue and medical teams remain on alert, and further updates on the condition of the critically injured are awaited.