Several people, including Congress workers and security personnel, were injured after five vehicles in Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's convoy collided with an ambulance on the Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. Gandhi was travelling to Sultanpur to appear before a special MP-MLA court in connection with a defamation case and remained safe in the accident.
The collision occurred in the Haliyapur area of Sultanpur district, around 100 km from the state capital, Lucknow. According to the police, the five vehicles involved were travelling at the rear of the convoy.
Visuals from CCTV footage showed the ambulance in the right-hand fast lane, while several vehicles were closely bunched together in the other lanes. A Scorpio SUV, whose bonnet appeared to have been crushed in the impact, was seen stopped in front of the ambulance after the collision.
Rahul Gandhi was travelling to Sultanpur court
The Congress leader had arrived at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow earlier in the day, where party workers and local leaders gathered to welcome him. He was subsequently travelling along the Purvanchal Expressway towards Sultanpur for a court appearance.
Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and MP from Rae Bareli, was scheduled to appear before a special MP-MLA court in connection with a defamation case.
The accident involved vehicles at the rear of his convoy. Several people sustained injuries, including Congress workers and security personnel, although further details about their condition were not immediately available.
CCTV footage shows damaged vehicles
Footage from the accident site showed multiple vehicles travelling close together when the collision occurred. The ambulance was visible in the right-hand fast lane, while traffic in the other lanes appeared congested with vehicles moving close to one another.
A Scorpio SUV sustained visible damage to its bonnet and appeared to have stopped directly in front of the ambulance following the impact.
The exact sequence of events leading to the collision was not immediately clear. Further details about the cause of the accident and the condition of those injured were awaited.