17 dead, 55 injured in six road accidents in Uttar Pradesh after Diwali

A day after Diwali celebrations in Uttar Pradesh, at least 17 people were killed and 55 others injured in six separate road accidents across various parts of the state on Monday, 9 November 2026. Officials stated that many of these accidents occurred during the early morning hours.

The most horrific accident took place in Muzaffarnagar district, where a car collided with a divider and an electric pole before overturning and catching fire, resulting in six people being burnt alive. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took note of the incident, expressed his grief, and directed local officials to communicate with the families of the victims and provide all possible assistance.

This tragedy in Muzaffarnagar occurred around 4.50 am near Jagahedi village in the Titavi police station area on the Panipat-Khatima highway. The deceased have been identified as Rahul (22), Ankit (21), Sahil (22), Ajay (22), another Ankit (22), and Aman (19), all residents of Hisar, Haryana. Sahil was driving the car, and they were heading towards Haridwar. SSP Suraj Kumar Rai stated that it is suspected the car was speeding, causing the driver to lose control. SP (Rural) Akshay Sanjay added that upon receiving information at 4.50 am, police personnel and fire brigade teams reached the spot. The passengers were taken to the district hospital, where doctors declared them dead.

Another incident occurred in Chitrakoot, where four people, including two children, died and 12 others were injured when a tractor-trolley overturned. According to District Magistrate Pulkit Garg, the victims were returning after visiting religious sites when the vehicle's coupling mechanism (hook) broke, causing the trolley to lose control and overturn by the roadside. This incident happened around 2.30 am near Ramnagar in Mau tehsil. Approximately 25 people, including members of a family from Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh, were aboard the trolley. Passengers were crushed under the trolley as it overturned. Raipura police and officials deployed for fair duty reached the spot immediately. The injured were taken to the Community Health Centre in Ramnagar, where four people died. Out of the 12 injured, seven were in critical condition and five had sustained minor injuries. After primary treatment, all were referred to a higher medical centre in Prayagraj.

In Lucknow, three people died and 41 were injured when a bus lost control and overturned on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway. The bus was travelling from Baywar in Rajasthan to Chhapra in Bihar. The accident occurred between 6 and 6.30 am near the zero point of the expressway when the bus overturned into a ditch. Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Brajesh Pathak stated that three injured passengers were declared dead at the hospital, with two deaths recorded at Lok Bandhu Hospital and one at King George Medical University (KGMU).

Authorities suspect that these accidents may have occurred due to low visibility in the early morning, caused by the onset of winter and rising pollution levels in the state, although this has not yet been confirmed.

According to a report by The Hindu, all these incidents took place on the second day of Diwali.