KANPUR: A mad scramble for chickens ensued on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway in Kannauj after a pick-up truck transporting poultry chicken overturned on Saturday morning.
Locals from nearby villages rushed to the spot to grab the chickens, leaving the injured driver and cleaner of the vehicle to fend for themselves.
Onlookers captured the chaos on camera and the footage soon went viral on social media, triggering debates about crowd behaviour and ethics.
It was only when police and Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development officials reached the site that the locals ‘chickened out’ and order was restored.
The driver and cleaner were admitted to a Kannauj hospital. Officials have initiated action based on the viral footage. The truck was transporting chickens from Amethi to Firozabad.
Police said the pick-up truck over-turned after its driver fell asleep. Additional SP Ajay Kumar said, “The incident took place in the Sakarawa area of Kannauj. Driver Salim and Kaleem were transporting chickens from Amethi to Firozabad via the AgraLucknow Expressway.
On Saturday afternoon, at the 142-km mark in Sakarawa, Salim fell asleep and lost control of the vehicle. It hit the divider and overturned.””We are in the process of identifying people who made away with chickens; strict action will be initiated against them,” the ASP added.
The injured were neglected as nearby villagers rushed to collect chickens. Instead of providing medical assistance, people began stealing chickens, the ASP said. The incident disrupted expressway traffic for a short while.
