Road accident claims 41 lives in N. India

At least 41 people, including 30 women and five children, were killed and 20 injured when the tractor-trolley they were riding on overturned and fell into a roadside ditch filled with water in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, reported the Press Trust of India (PTI). The accident occurred this morning in the state's Ballia district. The victims were going to a temple, added the report. It quoted district officials as saying: "The accident took place when an overloaded tractor-trolley carrying the pilgrims overturned and fell into a ditch. More than 60 people were riding on the ill-fated trolley." Tractor-trolley is a common mode of transportation in rural areas of India. It is usually used for ferrying large number of passengers in villages and remote areas, as it is taken to be the cheapest mode of transportation in these areas.