Bodies of four Kangra road mishap victims cremated

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 16

“I will never travel by bus again,” said 13-year-old Karan Kumar, one of the survivors of the tragic road mishap near Dhaliara in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, on Thursday.

The road accident claimed 10 lives and injured 45 persons, as the bus carrying the pilgrims fell into a 30-foot deep gorge after the driver of the bus lost control of the vehicle. The pilgrims were on their way to Jawalaji when the accident took place.

On Friday, the bodies of four persons were cremated in the morning amidst heart-rending scenes and the rest of the bodies were on their way to Amritsar at the time of filling the report.

Most of those killed in the mishap belong to Dhapai and its adjoining areas. Among those cremated included Nihal Chand, Swarna Rani, Santosh Devi and Shiv Kumar while the families of the other deceased were seen waiting for the bodies of their kin.

The pilgrimage was arranged by the Jai Mata Chintpurni Sabha to mark the occasion of Sangrandh (full moon night).

“We were on our way to Jawalaji and the driver was driving fast. For a few minutes, I could not understand what had happened. Bodies of people were falling on each other. I managed to jump from the window of the bus to save my life,” said Karan while resting at his home surrounded by a number of people from his neighborhood.

Karan suffered injuries on his foot and back and complains of back pain. Kavita, the mother of Karan, said, “He was traveling all alone, I am happy that he is safe. It was a tragic incident.”

Not only Karan’s family, but many families like them are thankful to the God. “My relatives were on that bus, they are safe,” said Usha, a resident of the Haripura area of the city. Among others who had died in the tragic accident were Sham Sunder, Chand Parkash, Dharampal, Harpreet Singh and Manjit Singh.