Budaun (UP), February 22 Three people were killed and 15 others were injured when a private bus carrying a wedding party collided head-on with a state-run bus on the Bareilly-Mathura highway early Sunday morning, police said.
The accident occurred around 5 am near the Jarolia village.
According to police sources, the bus was returning from a wedding in the Barakala village in Shahjahanpur and was heading towards Nagla Bhamma in the Kasganj district when the accident took place.
"Three members of the wedding party died on the spot. They have been identified as Sonu (22), Krishna Kumar (14), and Yogesh (38)," Hirdesh Kumar Katheira, Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural), said.
Locals alerted the police and emergency services, after which the injured were rushed to the Budaun Government Medical College.
"Out of the 15 injured, five whose condition was critical have been referred to higher medical centres in Bareilly and Saifai," the ASP added.
Both vehicles were severely damaged in the accident, leading to a traffic jam on the highway. Police later used cranes to clear the wreckage and restore the flow of traffic.
Expressing grief over the loss of lives, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families.
He has instructed district administration officials to expedite relief work and provide all necessary medical assistance to those hospitalised.
An investigation into the cause of the collision is currently underway.