Jaunpur (UP) | Eight devotees on their way to Ayodhya were killed and several others injured in two separate road accidents here early Thursday, police said.

The incidents occurred on the Sarokhanpur underpass of the Varanasi-Lucknow National Highway.

The first accident took place around 2 am when an unidentified vehicle collided with an SUV carrying a group of devotees. Five people were killed in the accident while six others sustained serious injuries. The victims were residents of Jharkhand and were en route to Ayodhya from Varanasi.

After an hour, another accident occurred on the same stretch when a double-decker bus collided with a trailer parked on the roadside.

The crash resulted in the death of the bus driver, a woman, and a child while 27 other passengers were injured.

The bus passengers, all from Delhi, were travelling to Ayodhya after visiting Varanasi, Chitrakoot, and Prayagraj.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate Yogita Singh said the injured were immediately referred to the district hospital.

Circle Officer Pratima Verma said efforts are underway to identify the deceased.