22 Dead in India Road Accident

At least 22 people died after a tractor trolley carrying a group of Hindu devotees veered off the road and plunged into a water body in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.

The accident occurred in Kanpur district, 100 kms from state capital Lucknow, when some 40 Hindu devotees were returning home from a pilgrimage, police said.

"The ill-fated tractor trolley fell into the pond after its driver lost control of the vehicle. So far, 22 bodies have been fished out of the water body. The death toll is likely to go up," a senior police officer told the local media.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to offer his condolences to the families of the deceased.

"Distressed by the tractor-trolley mishap in Kanpur. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. Prayers with the injured. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected," the PM's office tweeted.

"Rescue operations are on," the police officer said. "A probe has also been ordered into the accident."

Road accidents are common in India, with one taking place every four minutes. These accidents are often blamed on poor roads, rash driving and scant regard for traffic laws.

The Indian government's implementation of stricter traffic laws in recent years has failed to rein in accidents, which claim over 100,000 lives every year.