In a devastating incident on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, a speeding oil tanker and a luxury sedan collided in Nuh’s Urmi village around 2pm on Tuesday, resulting in a horrific crash that claimed the lives of two individuals and left four others severely injured. The collision, described by witnesses as a cataclysmic event, led to an inferno that engulfed both vehicles. Shockingly, the impact was so intense that the oil tanker overturned, trapping its driver and passenger inside, and leaving them with no means of escape. Tragically, both succumbed to the flames, as stated by the local police.
According to Narender Bijarniya, the superintendent of police, the lone survivor from the oil tanker, Gautam Kumar, miraculously escaped the fiery wreck but sustained grave injuries in the process. The luxury sedan, a Rolls-Royce, bore the brunt of the collision and its four occupants suffered grievous wounds. They were rushed to a private hospital in Gurugram, where their condition remains critical.
The victims have been identified as Rampreet Kumar and Kuldeep Singh, hailing from Alwar in Rajasthan. Meanwhile, Gautam Kumar, the survivor, hails from Uttar Pradesh. The collision’s aftermath was a scene of utter devastation; the oil tanker, en route to a National Highways Authority of India site with a diesel cargo for gensets, lay overturned, and the Rolls-Royce, once a symbol of luxury, was reduced to a charred wreckage. NHAI officials, alerted to the situation, promptly dispatched water tankers, but the ferocity of the flames defied their efforts, leaving the luxury vehicle beyond salvation.
As investigations unfold, early reports suggest that the oil tanker, belonging to a private company, was on the incorrect side of the road, apparently attempting a U-turn. This ill-fated decision placed it in the path of the approaching Rolls-Royce from the Sohna side. The collision’s sheer velocity resulted in the oil tanker’s dramatic overturn, ultimately sealing the fate of those trapped within it. NHAI officials, desperately trying to mitigate the disaster’s scope, dispatched water tankers in a bid to salvage the situation, but their efforts were tragically in vain.
Adding to the sorrow, a Delhi resident and two Chandigarh residents, who were traveling in the Rolls-Royce, sustained injuries in the accident. Prompt action by their friends, who were trailing closely in another vehicle at the time, ensured they were swiftly transported to the hospital for medical attention.
Ashok Kumar, the assistant sub-inspector of Nagina, affirmed that a comprehensive investigation is underway to shed light on the series of events that led to this heart-wrenching incident. As the community grapples with this devastating loss of life and the enduring trauma of the accident, questions loom about road safety, reckless driving, and the pivotal need for preventative measures to avert such catastrophes in the future.
