1 killed, 4 hurt as truck carrying pilgrims overturns in Dehra

One person was killed while four others were injured when a truck carrying pilgrims overturned on the national highway near Dhaliara village in Dehra subdivision of Kangra district on Saturday morning.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the pilgrims were travelling from Sirsa district of Haryana to perform langar sewa in the historic shrines of Himachal during the ‘sawan’ month.

Eyewitnesses told the local police that the truck was carrying about 25 persons from Odhan village of Dabwali subdivision of Sirsa district. The group was headed to Mata Jawalamukhi temple to organise a langar sewa after paying obeisance at Mata Chintpurni temple earlier in the morning.

The deceased has been identified as Baldev Singh, a resident of Odhan village. According to eyewitnesses, Baldev jumped from the truck in panic, when the driver lost control over the wheel, and was killed.

Driver Lakhvindra Singh said that the truck’s brakes failed during a steep descent near ‘Khooni Mor’, a section of the road notorious for accidents due to sharp turns on it.

In a desperate attempt to stop the truck, the driver deliberately tried to hit a milestone to reduce its speed. However, the truck overturned and came to rest at a roadside mud embankment, he added. “Had the truck veered slightly further, it would have fallen into a deep gorge. The consequences could have been far more devastating,” said a local resident, who was a witness to the incident.

The rescue teams, including the Dehra police, reached the spot soon after the incident and began relief operations. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals — some to the Chintpurni Civil Hospital and others to the Dehra Civil Hospital. The preliminary police investigation pointed towards a technical failure, specifically brake malfunction, as the cause of the accident. A case has been registered and an inquiry was underway.

Safety measures needed near ‘Khooni Mor’

The accident has once again drawn attention to the ‘Khooni Mor’ and the poor safety conditions and dangerous road curves in the Dhaliara region, where accidents have occurred in the past. Local residents and pilgrims have urged the authorities concerned to urgently take safety measures such as the installation of crash barriers, speed control signs and regular vehicle fitness checks, especially during the pilgrimage season.