Minibus overturns after colliding with tipper, 19 injured

At least 19 persons, including 18 women working at a private factory, were injured, three of them seriously, when a minibus carrying them overturned after being hit by a tipper at Bija Chowk on the national highway on Thursday morning.

The minibus (bearing registration number Punjab 10DA 2172) that was going from the Khanna side to Ludhiana overturned when it was hit by a loaded tipper (PB 13BF 1245) coming from the Samrala side. While driver of the tipper fled the scene after the accident, driver of the minibus and 18 women were reportedly injured in the incident. All 25 women occupants belonged to various localities of Khanna city and surrounding villages.

The injured were shifted to the Civil Hospital, Khanna, and other healthcare centres by members of the Sarak Suraksha Force, Khanna, and passers-by.

Khanna DSP Amritpal Singh Bhatti said police officials, supervised by SI Sukhdev Singh, had taken the injured women to various healthcare centres, including Civil Hospital, Khanna, from where three victims were referred to multi-specialty hospitals for management of serious injuries. Manjit Kaur of Bhaddal Dhuha, Veena Devi of Khanna and driver Ajit Singh were injured seriously.

Meanwhile, the police have initiated a probe into the sequence of events leading to the mishap and roadworthiness of the colliding vehicles, which were seized after the mishap.

“Having completed the rescue operation and cleared the obstruction at the accident scene, we advised the investigating team to probe the incident and verify roadworthiness of both vehicles,” he said.