Five kanwarias were killed and over 36 injured Monday when an oil tanker rammed into a tractor trolley carrying them in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur district, police said.
All the deceased were going to visit a Lord Shiva temple to offer holy water. The tractor trolley carrying the devotees was headed for Gola Gokarannath temple when a speeding oil tanker rammed into it, police said.
The bodies have been sent for an autopsy, an official told IANS. The driver of the oil tanker managed to escape from the accident site.
Police cleared the road for traffic and sent the injured to the Lucknow trauma centre where condition of six people is reported to be critical.