10 pilgrims meet watery grave as car falls into canal

Ten people, including five women, of a family drowned after the car they were travelling in fell into a canal at Makera area here this morning, police said.
The vehicle carrying them from Mehandipur Balaji temple lost control and fell into the Makera canal, SP (rural) Aditya Shukla said.
The deceased have been identified as Mahesh Sharma (48) his wife Deepika Sharma (44), sons Ritik (17) and Hardik (15), daughters Manasi (18) and Khushbu (21), sister Punam Sharma (42), niece Surabhi (16), nephew Rohan (18) and the car's driver Harish (25).
The bodies have been fished out, he said, adding the victims belonged to Bareilly.

The vehicle may have been speeding on the narrow bridge along the canal or the driver may have dozed off leading to the accident, station in-charge Harish Vardhan Singh said.
Mahesh's brother Vinay said, "The family wanted to pay obeisance at Mehandipur Balaji temple as Manasi had scored 78 per cent marks in the UP Board Class XII results."
Meanwhile, the residents blamed the authorities for failing to expand the narrow bridge along the canal.