13 boxers, coach hurt as truck hits bus

Tribune News Service

Mohali, December 27

Thirteen national-level junior pugilists and their woman coach were injured, one of them seriously, when their bus was hit by a speeding truck at Kumbhra Chowk (Sector 68-69 light point) here this morning. 

The accident occurred around 7 am. Vikas Kumar (14) from Patiala received head injuries. His nose bone was also fractured. He has been admitted to the ICU at Fortis Hospital.

The other sportspersons, including coach Amandeep Kaur, were also taken to the hospital. The injured have been identified as Raghav, Davinder, Neeraj, Sourav, Ugyan, Abhiraj, Prainka, Inderjit, Paras, Rajdeep, Ramanjit and Deshkaran. “All of them are national-level pugilists and fall in the under-16 age group,” said Dalip Rana, administrator of the Sector 78 Sports Complex, where the sportspersons have been putting up for a special training and selection for the coming national boxing championship in New Delhi.

By evening, except Vikas Kumar, all injured had been discharged after treatment. The bus driver, Satpal, escaped with minor injuries.

It could have been a major tragedy had the truck not overturned before hitting the bus, said Rana, who reached the spot within minutes of the accident. 

Rana said the truck was at a high speed and the driver was jumping the red light when the mishap occurred. “The budding pugilists were going from the Sector 76 complex to the Sports Complex at Phase IX for training in the bus. Apparently the truck driver did not notice the bus at first. And when he did, he applied the brakes following which the truck overturned and hit the bus,” said Rana. The truck driver fled from the spot, leaving the vehicle behind. 

The police have registered a case of negligent and rash driving against the unidentified truck driver at the Phase VIII police station.