Tractor accident kills 26 religious pilgrims

A farm vehicle pulling a wagon full of people in northern India has fallen into a pond, drowning most of the passengers

A farm tractor pulling a wagon full of religious pilgrims has reportedly overturned in northern India, falling into a pond and leaving 26 people dead.

The tragedy occurred on Saturday night in Uttar Pradesh state’s Kanpur district, where the tractor was transporting more than 40 people from a ceremony at a Hindu temple in Fatehpur district, according to media reports. Most of the victims were women and children and died by drowning. An additional 16 people suffered serious injuries.

“Distressed by the tractor-trolley mishap in Kanpur,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter. “My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. Prayers with the injured.”

Modi said local authorities are providing “all possible assistance” to those who were affected.

Distressed by the tractor-trolley mishap in Kanpur. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. Prayers with the injured. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 1, 2022

The cause of the incident is under investigation. Fatehpur is located more than 80 kilometers from central Kanpur, where earlier this week another tractor overturned, killing at least 12 people.

“A tractor-trolley should be used for agricultural work and to transfer goods, not to ferry people,” Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in a statement.

Opposition party leader Akhilesh Yadav blamed the accident on bad road conditions in the state, claiming that citizens are “bearing the brunt of the failures” by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. He alleged that those who were injured had to be taken to the hospital on motorcycles, rather than by ambulances.