Six Women Killed in Tractor Racing Accident on Budaun Highway

Six women travelling to a pre-wedding “bhat” ritual were killed and three others injured on Wednesday when two speeding tractors, allegedly racing each other on the Kachla-Ujhani highway in Budaun district, rammed and ran over their e-rickshaw near Phoolpur area under Ujhani Kotwali limits, police said.

The women — Rajkumari, 55, Ganga Shri, 32, Rewati, 80, Prem Devi, 45, Narayani Devi, 32, and Aarti, in her 20s — were residents of Mohalla Murawan Nagla in Kachla and were on their way to a neighbouring village for the ceremony ahead of the June 29 wedding of Kunwar Pal, son of Dal Singh.

What had begun as part of wedding preparations ended with the family gathering at the hospital to identify bodies.

Eyewitnesses told police that both tractors were moving at high speed on the same lane of the under-construction highway when the e-rickshaw came ahead. The first tractor hit the vehicle, while the second ran over it, crushing the e-rickshaw and leaving several occupants trapped and grievously injured.

Bystanders rushed to help and called police, following which the injured were shifted to hospital, where six women were declared dead.

Police said the tractor drivers had earlier unloaded maize at Ujhani Mandi and were returning when the crash occurred. One driver fled with his tractor-trolley, while the other abandoned his vehicle at the spot and escaped on foot.

Some motorcycle riders tried to intercept them but failed, while police later seized the abandoned tractor-trolley and launched a search for both drivers.

DIG Ajay Sahani told TOI, “Both the accused drivers who were racing and led to the death of six women have been identified.”

Police said teams were carrying out raids to arrest them and were also examining whether the tractors had valid documents and whether the drivers were authorised to operate them.

Ujhani CO Sunil Kumar Singh said police were completing legal formalities and waiting for the family’s complaint. “We are in the process of filing an FIR. As of now, the grieving family is focusing on cremating their loved ones, following which they will file a complaint,” Singh said.

The injured, including e-rickshaw driver Sunny, 32, and Dal Singh, 58, were admitted to Govt Medical College. District magistrate and SSP visited the accident site and the hospital, while officials said the highway construction stretch, traffic diversion arrangements and movement of heavy vehicles on the route would also be examined as part of the inquiry.