New Delhi, Apr 26: In a devastating incident on Saturday morning, six sanitation workers lost their lives and five others sustained critical injuries after a speeding pickup van crashed into them while they were cleaning a stretch of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near Ibrahim Bas village in Firozpur Jhirka in Nuh Haryana, police officials confirmed.

The tragic event occurred around 10 a.m. as the workers were engaged in routine maintenance of the expressway, a high-speed corridor.

According to the police, the van's driver fled the scene, abandoning the vehicle at the site of the accident.

The impact of the crash was described as extremely violent.

"Police teams have been working to collect the remains and investigate the incident further," Ajaib Singh, DSP Firozpur Jhirka, informed, adding that six women lost their lives and five others are injured, including one man.

The injured workers were rushed to Mandi Khera Hospital, where they are currently receiving treatment.

A senior police official mentioned that, based on initial findings, five of the deceased belonged to Kheri Kalan village, while one hailed from Jhimrawat village. However, formal identification is still ongoing.

Authorities are investigating the circumstances leading to the accident. Aman Singh, Station House Officer (SHO) of Ferozepur Jhirka police station, said, “We are examining CCTV footage and gathering all possible evidence to determine the exact sequence of events. All angles are being thoroughly probed.”

Singh also confirmed that a formal case will be registered once the identification process and preliminary investigations are complete.

Initial reports suggest that the pickup van, heading from Delhi towards Alwar at a high speed, veered out of control before ploughing into the group of workers.

This incident has raised serious concerns over the safety measures for maintenance staff working on high-speed expressways, highlighting the urgent need for better protective protocols.

--IANS

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