Fatehpur (UP), (PTI) Nine people were killed after an auto-rickshaw they were travelling collided with a milk tanker in Jehanabad area here on Tuesday, police said.

Eleven people from Ghatampur in Kanpur were coming to Jehanabad in an auto rickshaw when a speeding tanker hit it near Chilli turn this afternoon, they said.

Nine people travelling in the auto-rickshaw were killed and two others were seriously injured, they said.

Expressing grief over the loss of lives in the accident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet in Hindi said, “The road accident in Fatehpur is very sad. My deepest condolences to those who have lost their family members. I wish the injured a speedy recovery. Under the supervision of the state government, the local administration is fully engaged in helping the victims.” Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a tweet in Hindi said, “The loss of lives in a road accident in district Fatehpur is extremely sad. My condolences are with the bereaved families. May Lord Ram give place to the departed souls in his holy feet and a speedy recovery to the injured.” The district administration officials have been instructed to provide proper treatment of the injured, the CM said.

The identity of the deceased is yet to be ascertained, police said.

Efforts are on to nab the tanker driver who fled with the vehicle after the accident, they said.

Further details are awaited, police added.