Chitrakoot: A tragic collision between a pickup truck and a DCM vehicle on Jhansi-Mirzapur Highway near Bharkhwar turn claimed five lives Sunday noon. The accident, attributed to the pickup driver falling asleep at the wheel, left six critically injured with emergency services struggling to respond.
Witnesses reported taking 15 minutes for the first ambulance to arrive, forcing locals to use private Boleros arranged by Apna Dal MLA Avinash Chandra Dwivedi to transport victims. The Ramnagar Community Health Center, equipped with only two staff members and unsanitary beds, proved inadequate, requiring referrals to district hospitals.
The deceased include band group members Durga (32), Ramu Shah (32), Kauen Ali (27), Santram (38), and Baccha (45) who were traveling to a wedding performance. Police took six hours to complete postmortem formalities, drawing criticism from grieving families.
SP Arun Kumar Singh confirmed drowsy driving as the probable cause while acknowledging systemic delays in emergency response. The incident has reignited concerns about rural healthcare infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh's Bundelkhand region.
