Desk Correspondent , Lucknow - Two drivers were charred to death and a third person was critically injured following a horrific multi-vehicle collision near the Assam Chauraha area on the Bahraich bypass late Sunday night. The accident, which involved a machinery-laden truck, a cement trailer, and a pickup van, triggered a massive fire that trapped the victims inside their cabins.

The tragedy unfolded when a Punjab-registered and a Haryana-registered trailer collider head on, immediately erupting into flames. The fire was so intense that both drivers were unable to escape their mangled vehicle. Emergency responders battled for nearly three hours to extricate the bodies, eventually using industrial machinery to cut through the fused metal. One victim has been identified as Jeetlal Yadav of Prayagraj, while the identity of the second driver remains unknown as authorities struggle to contact the vehicle owner in Punjab.

Police officials confirmed that a third vehicle, a Lucknow-registered pickup van, was also found damaged at the scene. While the occupants of the van reportedly fled the site immediately after the crash, a helper from the trailer sustained serious injuries and is currently undergoing medical treatment. Local authorities have sent the bodies for postmortem examination and have launched a formal investigation to determine the exact cause of the pile-up.