Kanpur: Nearly 26 pilgrims killed and 20 people were injured in a road accident when a tractor trolley overturned and fell into a pond in Kanpur district in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish and condolences to the bereaved families. He announced a compensation of ₹ 2 lakh each for the families who have lost a member in the accident. The injured will be given a financial assistance of ₹ 50,000 each. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath too mourned the loss of lives and sent senior Ministers Rakesh Sachan and Ajit Pal to the site to oversee the relief and rescue measures.

According to the official sources, the tractor with 50 people on board was returning from Chandrika Devi temple in Unnao when the tragedy struck near Ghatampur area in Kanpur.

The injured were moved to a local hospital and the police and locals were involved in rescue operations. In horrific scenes, people with bare hands were seen retrieving bodies from the pond.