LUCKNOW: As many as 17 persons died after a tempo coming from the opposite direction collided with a double-decker bus in Sachendi area of Kanpur Nagar in UP on Tuesday night.
A dozen people were also injured.
Police started rescue operations with the help of locals and shifted the injured to hospital.
The identity of the deceased could not be ascertained.
Inspector General of police, Kanpur Range, Mohit Agarwal said that a double decker bus of Maa Pitambara Travels left for Ahmedabad from Fazalganj at around 8pm on Tuesday.
“When the bus reached in front of the Bharat Gas Agency at Sachendi, suddenly a tempo carrying five passengers came in front.
The bus driver applied brakes but could not stop collided head-on with the tempo.
The impact of the crash was such that the bus tossed and got careened off to the other side the side of the road and fell in a ditch,” said Agarwal.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath expressed deep condolence to the kin of the deceased.
Instructions have been given to the senior officers to reach the spot immediately and provide all possible help.