NEW DELHI: Fourteen people including six children were killed in an accident that took place at a spot on the Prayagraj-Lucknow highway under Manikpur police station of Pratapgarh district, Indian media reports said.

The accident took place when a vechicle carrying people of a wedding party collided with a parked truck in Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh late on Thursday night, officials said.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the road accident and directed senior officials to reach the spot and provide all possible assistance.

Anurag Arya, Pratapgarh’s superintendent of police, said the primary investigation suggested that the accident took place when the SUV driver failed to spot the stationary truck and collided with it from behind on the highway near Deshraj Ka Inara village.

Meanwhile, passengers trapped in the SUV were taken out and moved to the community health centre (CHC) in Kunda where the 14 of them were declared dead on arrival. The dead included women and children, Arya added.

They had gone to attend a wedding at Shekhpur village in Nawabganj area and were coming back when the accident took place.

Locals said the SUV was badly damaged in the collision and police faced difficulties in rescue operation due to darkness.

(With inputs from Agencies)