9 Ludhiana pilgrims killed in road accident in Bhiwani

Sat Singh

Tribune News Service

Bhiwani, September 30

Nine pilgrims were killed and 14 others injured when a pick-up vehicle carrying them was involved in an accident with two heavy vehicles at Sainiwas village in this district on Friday morning.

The deceased—eight men and a woman—were residents of Machhiwara near Ludhiana.

Police said the pick-up vehicle carrying the pilgrims rammed into a truck moving ahead and then was hit from behind by another heavy vehicle.

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The accident took place around 12.15 am. The injured have been admitted to the civil hospital at Bhiwani.

Bhiwani Civil Surgeon Dr Randeep Singh Poonia said, “Twenty-one patients were brought to Government Hospital, Siwani, of which nine were declared brought dead. Additional staff was deployed and the best possible treatment was given to the injured. Later, the patients were referred to hospitals in Hisar and Bhiwani. The bodies were shifted to the Bhiwani hospital for post-mortem.”

Deshraj, one of the injured, said they were coming back from Gogamedi in Rajasthan and were asleep at the time of the accident.

Gogamedi is a village of religious importance in Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan.

As many as 29 pilgrims had been killed in a similar manner at the same place in 2012.