Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 23 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday sanctioned financial assistance for the victims of a fatal accident that occurred in Mirzapur, resulting in 11 fatalities.

The Prime Minister's Office confirmed that the assistance will be provided from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to support the families affected by the tragedy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X, stated, 'Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to the mishap in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the quick recovery of the injured. An ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives in the tragic mishap. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM @narendramodi.'

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also expressed his grief on the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 Lakh for the victims

'The loss of lives in the road accident in Mirzapur district is extremely tragic and heart-rending. My condolences are with the bereaved families. Instructions have been issued to the concerned officials to ensure proper treatment for the injured. Instructions have been issued to provide financial assistance of 2 lakh to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident,' the CM said.

Earlier, on Wednesday night, a horrific road accident occurred in Mirzapur. The collision involved a truck, which caused a car and a Bolero to catch fire, resulting in the deaths of 11 people.

Speaking to ANI, Satya Prakash Dubey, a friend of one of the deceased, said, 'My friend's family had gone for a 'mundan' ceremony, and on their way back, their car was hit from behind by a truck, and it collided with another truck in the family, which resulted in the death of the entire family...'

Mirzapur Police informed that the tragedy unfolded at 8:30 PM on Wednesday within the limits of the Dramandganj police station area. The accident occurred when the brakes of a truck, which was transporting a load of chickpeas, failed; the vehicle went out of control and collided with a car, leading to this tragic incident.

Superintendent of Police, Mirzapur Aparna Rajat Kaushik, said, 'The truck, laden with chickpeas, suddenly went out of control and first slammed violently into a Bolero; subsequently, the Bolero crashed into a Swift Dzire car. The impact was so severe that the Swift Dzire burst into flames.'

She further said, 'The Swift Dzire was also pushed forward and rammed into a trailer moving ahead of it. Following the collision, the vehicles caught fire. In a matter of moments, the Bolero--along with the other vehicles--was engulfed in raging flames.'

'The driver of the truck sustained serious injuries in this accident. He is currently undergoing treatment at the District Hospital, SP Mirzapur, Aparna Rajat Kaushik added.

According to the Mirzapur Police, upon receiving the information, District Magistrate Pawan Kumar Gangwar and Superintendent of Police Aparna Rajat Kaushik rushed to the scene, accompanied by a heavy police force.

A fire brigade team also arrived at the site and, with the assistance of residents, carried out relief and rescue operations. However, the intensity of the fire hampered the relief and rescue efforts. (ANI)