4 days ago
3 kanwariyas from Ghaziabad killed after speeding ambulance rams into them
Three kanwariyas were killed and at least three others injured late Saturday night after a speeding ambulance rammed into a group of pilgrims on scooters and bikes on the Delhi-Meerut road near Kadarabad village in Ghaziabad, police said.
The ambulance, reportedly travelling at over 100 kmph, belonged to Jeevan Hospital in Modinagar — owned by Devendra Shivcharan, husband of BJP Modinagar MLA Dr Manju Siwach.
Officials from Jeevan Hospital and MLA Manju Siwach's office could not be reached for comment.
The Kanwar Yatra, which sees lakhs of devotees travel on foot or two-wheelers to Haridwar to collect holy Ganga water, often leads to heavy movement on highways.
Police officers said they were ascertaining if the speeding ambulance was carrying any patients.
According to the police, the Kanwariyas were on their way to Haridwar when the accident took place around midnight. The force of the collision was such that the pilgrims were flung into the air and landed several metres away on the road.
The deceased have been identified as Hrithik (23), resident of Krishna Nagar in Ghaziabad; Abhinav Samaniya (25), resident of Kavi Nagar in Ghaziabad; and Sachin alias Johnny (23), resident of Tila Mod Police Station area, Ghaziabad.
One of the injured, Ajay, a resident of Harsh Vihar, Mandoli, remains in critical condition. The police have not named the others who sustained injuries.
Police said the ambulance was headed towards Meerut at high speed when it collided head-on with the two-wheelers. Locals alerted the authorities immediately after the crash, following which police rushed the injured to Modinagar's Jeevan Hospital and Meerut's Subharti Hospital.
While some kanwariyas staged a protest late at night, police managed to disperse the crowd and pacify the situation.
Officials said the vehicle has been seized, and further investigation is underway.
