Ghazipur road accident: 6 injured as car hits Dussehra Mela crowd on NH-31
Synopsis
A speeding car lost control on NH-31 in Ghazipur and ploughed into six people returning from the Dussehra Mela late Tuesday night. The driver, identified as Ashish Kumar Rai, was caught by bystanders and is now in police custody — a grim reminder of the heightened road risk during festival season in UP.
Key Takeaways
Six people were seriously injured after a car rammed into a group on National Highway 31 in Ghazipur, UP , around 10 pm on 21 October 2025 .
The victims were standing by the roadside after attending the Dussehra Mela in Muhammadabad Kotwali area.
Driver Ashish Kumar Rai , a resident of Veerpur village , has been taken into custody along with the vehicle.
The injured were first taken to the Community Health Centre, Muhammadabad and later referred to the district headquarters hospital due to their critical condition.
Police have initiated legal proceedings; the investigation is ongoing.
At least six people sustained serious injuries after an out-of-control car ploughed into a group standing by the roadside on National Highway 31 near an inter-college in the Muhammadabad Kotwali area of Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, officials said. The accident occurred around 10 pm on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, as the victims were returning from the local Dussehra Mela.
How the Accident Unfolded
The victims had been standing by the roadside after attending the Dussehra Mela celebrations when the speeding vehicle suddenly lost control and struck the group. The impact left all six individuals with severe injuries. The collision immediately drew a crowd at the scene, triggering chaos at the spot on NH-31.
Enraged bystanders reportedly caught hold of the driver and allegedly began assaulting him following the crash. Local police personnel swiftly reached the scene after being alerted about the incident and intervened to restore order.
Driver Identified, Taken Into Custody
Station House Officer (SHO) Vijay Pratap Singh, who arrived at the accident site following information about the incident, identified the driver as Ashish Kumar Rai, a resident of Veerpur village under the Bhavarkol police station area. According to the SHO, Rai was travelling from Muhammadabad towards his native village of Veerpur when the car allegedly went out of control and hit the people standing near the inter-college.
Police have taken both Ashish Kumar Rai and the vehicle into custody as part of the ongoing investigation. Legal action is being initiated in connection with the incident, officials confirmed.
Medical Treatment and Condition of Victims
Responding officers arranged for the injured to be rushed to the Community Health Centre in Muhammadabad for initial treatment. However, given the critical condition of the victims, doctors at the health centre subsequently referred all six to the district headquarters hospital in Ghazipur for further medical care.
The precise nature and extent of each victim's injuries have not been officially detailed as of Wednesday. Further updates are awaited as the situation develops.
Background and Context
Road accidents involving crowds returning from festive gatherings are a recurring concern across Uttar Pradesh during the Navratri and Dussehra season, when large numbers of people travel on foot along busy highways late at night. NH-31, a major arterial route, witnesses heavy traffic during festival periods, raising the risk of such incidents. This accident adds to a pattern of post-celebration tragedies that authorities have repeatedly flagged but struggled to curb through enforcement alone.
Point of View
Where late-night pedestrian traffic spikes sharply but road safety enforcement rarely does. The fact that bystanders turned on the driver rather than waiting for police points to a deep trust deficit in emergency response systems. The referral chain — from the roadside to a community health centre to a district hospital — also exposes the fragility of trauma care infrastructure in rural eastern UP. Until highway policing and festival-season crowd management are treated as an integrated safety problem, these incidents will keep repeating.
NationPress
21 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in Ghazipur on the night of 21 October 2025?
An out-of-control car struck six people standing on the roadside on National Highway 31 near an inter-college in Muhammadabad Kotwali, Ghazipur, UP, at around 10 pm. The victims were returning from the Dussehra Mela when the vehicle hit them, leaving all six with serious injuries.
Who is the driver involved in the Ghazipur accident?
The driver has been identified as Ashish Kumar Rai, a resident of Veerpur village under the Bhavarkol police station area. He was travelling from Muhammadabad toward Veerpur when the accident occurred. Police have taken him and the vehicle into custody.
Where were the injured taken for treatment?
The injured were initially taken to the Community Health Centre in Muhammadabad. Due to the critical condition of the victims, doctors referred them to the district headquarters hospital in Ghazipur for further treatment.
What legal action is being taken after the Ghazipur crash?
Station House Officer Vijay Pratap Singh confirmed that legal proceedings have been initiated against the driver. Both Ashish Kumar Rai and the vehicle involved have been taken into police custody as the investigation continues.
Why are such accidents common during Dussehra and festival season in UP?
Festival gatherings like Dussehra Melas draw large crowds who often travel on foot along busy national highways late at night, significantly increasing pedestrian exposure on high-speed roads. Road safety enforcement during these periods has historically been inadequate in many districts of Uttar Pradesh.
