Poor visibility snuffs out 12 lives in Sirsa as vehicle plunges into canal

In a tragic accident late on Friday night, 12 persons lost their lives when a Force Trax Cruiser carrying a wedding party fell into the Bhakra canal in Fatehabad due to low visibility caused by heavy fog. While two persons were rescued, the remaining passengers drowned.

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Rescue operations continued into Saturday, with teams recovering seven bodies in Sirsa district, including six near Kaluana Minor in Gadraana village. The deceased included four women, a man, and a 10-year-old girl. Additionally, four bodies were found in Punjab, near Sardulgarh and one in Fatehabad.

The ill-fated vehicle had 14 passengers on board and was returning from a wedding in Jalalabad, Punjab, when the accident happened. Upon receiving the distress call, police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams rushed to the site. The rescue operation was launched immediately and the cruiser was pulled out of the canal, but retrieving the victims' bodies took hours of extensive searching.

Among the victims were residents of Mehmra village in Fatehabad and several villages in Punjab. The deceased were identified as Surender Singh (55), Jhando Bai (65), Balveer Singh (60), Taro Bai (60), Jangiro Bai (45), Lakhwinder Kaur (25), Sahajdeep (1), Jaswinder Singh (35), Sajna (12), Ravinder Kaur (35), Chira Bai (60) and Kanto Bai (45).

The bodies were recovered and transported to nearby hospitals for post-mortem and further procedures.

Reports suggest that the family had rented the cruiser to attend a wedding in Jalalabad. On their return journey, thick fog made visibility extremely poor, leading to the accident. Jarnail Singh, the driver, managed to jump out of the vehicle just before it plunged into the canal, saving his life.

"I realised we were heading towards the canal and I jumped out just in time," Singh recounted. "I shouted for help and bystanders managed to rescue a child, but the others were trapped inside."

Authorities have warned drivers about the dangers of dense fog and advised extreme caution while traveling at night, especially near canals and water bodies.