Kanpur tragedy: Auto-rickshaw overturns near Navsheel Dham; 2 dead, 9 injured during Kartik Poornima pilgrimage

KANPUR: Two devotees died and nine others were injured when an auto-rickshaw overturned into a roadside drain near Navsheel Dham Chauki on GT Road early Wednesday. The vehicle, carrying more than a dozen passengers to Bithoor for a holy dip in the Ganga on Kartik Poornima, lost control after the driver was blinded by the bright lights of an oncoming truck. Both the deceased — Santa, 35, from Mukutpur village, and Golu, 20, from Bilaspur village — died of suffocation, according to hospital officials. The injured, all residents of Kanpur Dehat, were admitted to Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital and include children and adults aged 9 to 40. ACP Kalyanpur Ranjit Singh said the open drain beside the road contributed to the severity of the accident, as passengers were trapped beneath the overturned auto. Passers-by helped rescue those trapped before the injured were taken to the hospital. The victims are receiving medical care, and authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident.