Punjab accident: Truck runs over pilgrims, seven killed, 20 injured

Seven pilgrims, including five women, on their way to celebrate Baisakhi at Khuralgarh Sahib in the district were killed while twenty were injured after being run over by a truck near here early Thursday, police said.

Garhshankar Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Daljit Singh Khakh said most of the deceased were residents of the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh.

The area where the accident took place is a sub-mountainous region, police said, adding that the driver lost control of the vehicle while navigating a slope and hit a group of 27 pilgrims who were on foot.

Also Read | Four Indian nationals killed in Nepal car accident

It was suspected that the brakes of the truck had failed, police said.

Pilgrims have been flocking to Khuralgarh Sahib, a place associated with Guru Ravidas, in view of the Baisakhi festival. The district administration here provided an ex-gratia grant of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of deceased pilgrims.

Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal said the ex-gratia grant of Rs 2 lakh each has been provided to the families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to the injured for their treatment, adding that if the expenses for the treatment of injured persons are more than Rs 1 lakh, then that too would be borne by the government. DSP Khakh said the deceased were identified as Angoori (73), Santosh, both of Yamunanagar (Haryana), Unati (14), her mother Sita Devi (34), Sandesh Pal (45), Ramoh (15), and Rahul (17), all residents of UP’s Muzaffarnagar district.

As many as 14 injured persons were admitted to Civil Hospital in Garhshankar for treatment while the rest with serious injuries were referred to PGIMER Chandigarh.

An FIR under IPC sections, including 304 (causing death by negligence), 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) has been registered in this connection and further investigation in the accident is underway, said Khakh. One of the injured, Naresh Kumar, who was admitted to Civil Hospital Garhshankar, told reporters that he along with some other pilgrims was going to Charan Choh Ganga and just when they were about to take a turn, a big vehicle coming from behind ran over all of them.

He said he later came to know that it was a truck, adding that there was a great rush of pilgrims on the road.