At least nine people were killed and several others injured after a pick-up vehicle carrying a group of family members collided with a truck on the Ferozepur-Fazilka road in Punjab on Saturday, police said.
The accident took place near Janga Wala Mour when around 32 people, including women and children, were travelling from Jalalabad to Beas in Amritsar to immerse the ashes of a relative in the Beas river. According to officials, many of the victims died on the spot, while those who suffered serious injuries were rushed to the Civil Hospital in Ferozepur for treatment.
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Dr Nikhil Gupta, Senior Medical Officer, said the critically injured victims have been referred to Guru Gobind Singh Government Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Bhupinder Singh, along with other police officials, visited the accident site shortly after the crash.
The SSP said police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident.
Among the survivors was 12-year-old Anshpreet Singh, who sustained minor injuries. He said he was travelling with family members to immerse the ashes of his grandmother, Pooro Bai.
“We started our journey early at 3.30 am. Everything was normal, and we even stopped for fuel. As soon as we reached near Janga Wala Mour, the accident happened”, Anshpreet said.
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The deceased have been identified as Karnail Singh, Lakshmi Rani, Sukhwinder Kaur, Bhago Rani, Maya Bai, Surinder Singh, Raj Kumar, Darshan Singh and Vidya Rani. Police said further investigation is underway.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed grief over the loss of lives in an accident in Punjab and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
Nine people were killed and several others injured when a pick-up vehicle, in which they were travelling, collided with a truck near Janga Wala Mour on the Ferozepur-Fazilka road on Saturday.
“Deeply pained to hear about a mishap in Ferozepur district, Punjab. My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured,” Modi said in a post on X.
The prime minister also announced that an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund would be given to the next of kin of each deceased and the injured would be given Rs 50,000.
(With Inputs from PTI)