9 killed as tractor falls into drain in UP's Saharanpur, 4 of them children

A tractor-trolley fell into a drain near Redhibodki village in the Saharanpur district, leaving nine people dead, four of them children, police on Thursday said.

The incident took place Wednesday evening in the Tajpura area when a tractor carrying around 50 devotees was on its way to Randaul village for a religious event, Superintendent of Police, City, Abhimanyu Manglik told PTI.

On Wednesday, police recovered four bodies from the drain. The victims were identified as Sulochana, 58, Manglesh, 50, and Aditi and Arjun, both aged five and 12.

Five bodies recovered on Thursday are yet to be identified, Manglik said.

Several people were washed away due to a strong current in the river. A rescue operation is still on to retrieve one missing person, the SP said.

The spot was visited by Saharanpur District Magistrate Dr Dinesh Chand and SSP Dr Vipin Tada.

Tada told PTI that the villagers had been told not to take the route but the driver disregarded the warning.

An excavation machine has been called in to assist in the rescue work, the SSP added. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his grief over the deaths and asked the Saharanpur administration to immediately grant Rs 4 lakh each to victims' kin, an official statement said.