Woman killed, 15 injured in multi-vehicle collision on Dehradun–Haridwar highway

A 30-year-old woman was killed and 15 others, including seven children, were injured in a multi-vehicle collision on the Dehradun–Haridwar National Highway in Uttarakhand late Sunday night, police said.

The accident occurred on the Motichur flyover near Raiwala in front of Hotel Godwin when an Uttarakhand Roadways bus travelling from Raiwala to Haridwar reportedly hit a tractor-trolley from behind. The impact triggered a chain collision as a Scorpio and two other vehicles crashed into the bus, leading to a pile-up on the busy highway.

During the collision, the Scorpio’s CNG cylinder reportedly exploded and caught fire, causing flames to spread and damage nearby vehicles. Thick smoke engulfed the area, creating panic among passengers and motorists who rushed out of their vehicles. Firefighters later reached the spot and brought the blaze under control.

Police said a woman identified as Kusum, a resident of Najibabad in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor district, was crushed under the wheels of the tractor-trolley and died on the spot. Fifteen people travelling on the trolley were injured and were rushed to a hospital in Haridwar for treatment.

Authorities said the victims were residents of Bijnor and Najibabad and were returning home in a tractor-trolley after attending the Jhanda Mela in Dehradun. The injured included four women, seven children below 12 years of age and the tractor-trolley driver, while the accident also caused a kilometre-long traffic jam before normal movement was restored.