At least 26 people were killed in northern India when a tractor and a trailer overturned and ended up in a puddle. The trailer was carrying about 40 pilgrims who attended a ceremony at a nearby Hindu temple.

Many of the victims are women and children:

The accident occurred in Kanpur, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. According to local authorities, most of the victims died by drowning. At least ten others were seriously injured. The cause of the accident is being investigated.

This is the second accident in three days in India in which a tractor carrying people has overturned. At least 12 people were killed in the other incident.

India is one of the countries with the highest number of road fatalities in the world, with hundreds of thousands of deaths and injuries recorded every year. Most accidents are due to reckless driving, poor road maintenance and aging vehicles.

In rural areas especially, it is not uncommon for people to be transported on trailers. Yogi Adityanath, the top elected official in Uttar Pradesh, is trying to discourage the use of agricultural vehicles for passenger transportation. He says that the tractor with a trailer is intended only for transporting agricultural products and goods.