Lucknow: A sleeper bus travelling from Delhi to Lucknow overturned on the Ganga Expressway in Hardoi district’s Bilgram area early Tuesday, injuring 17 passengers, police said.Two of the injured were reported to be in serious condition and were referred to the district hospital for further treatment.The accident occurred around 4.30 am near Cut 329 of the expressway when the bus, heading towards Lucknow, allegedly went out of control before overturning. The sudden crash triggered panic among passengers, several of whom were trapped inside the vehicle as it lay on its side.Local residents who heard the commotion rushed to the spot and began pulling passengers out through windows and damaged sections of the bus. Police teams arrived soon after receiving information and, with the help of residents, carried out rescue efforts to free those still stuck inside.All injured passengers were taken to Community Health Centre (CHC) in Bilgram.Hospital staff said most passengers sustained injuries and were kept under observation after receiving treatment.The injured were identified as Mayank, Amaresh Pandey, Sudha Pandey, Mamta Sharma, Naina Sharma, Nishtha, Aarti, Kavita, Rahul, Kushal, Sumit Sharma, Tushar Srivastava, Abhishek, Apoorva Srivastava, Ram Singh, Vivek and Annu.After initial assessment at CHC, Ram Singh and Vivek Kumar were found to be in serious condition and were referred to the district hospital for advanced care, officials said.The impact caused extensive damage to the bus, particularly its front portion, and debris was scattered at the site. Police secured the vehicle and regulated traffic on the expressway to prevent further accidents while the injured were evacuated and the roadway cleared.Preliminary information indicates the bus lost control before overturning, though the exact cause had not been established by Tuesday morning.Investigators said they were questioning the bus driver and passengers to reconstruct the moments leading up to the accident. Police were also examining the mechanical condition of the vehicle and assessing road and visibility conditions at the time of the incident, officials said.
