Sultanpur

Fourteen people were injured after a tourist cruiser van carrying pilgrims crashed into an electricity pole following a tyre burst here on Friday morning, police said.

The accident took place at 5.15 am near Madanpur Paniyar on the Lucknow-Varanasi National Highway when the vehicle's rear tyre burst, causing the driver to lose control, officials said.

The van was carrying pilgrims from Seoni in Madhya Pradesh, travelling from Varanasi to Ayodhya for darshan, Additional Superintendent of Police Brij Narayan Singh said.

All the injured were rushed to the Community Health Centre in Lambhua. Among them, four seriously injured passengers were later referred to the Government Medical College in Sultanpur for specialised treatment.

Singh said the vehicle had around 15 occupants; while one escaped unhurt, no fatalities were reported, and all those injured are undergoing treatment.

The police have seized the damaged vehicle and initiated further legal proceedings.

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Senior district officials, including the Additional Superintendent of Police, SDM, Circle Officer and other revenue officials visited the hospital to enquire about the condition of the injured.