Sirhind Canal tragedy: Pick-up driver booked for reckless driving

Driver of the pick-up vehicle that had fallen into the Sirhind canal near Jagera Bridge near here on Sunday night had been booked by the Malaudh police for allegedly causing the death of eight persons due to reckless driving.

The suspect was identified as Bhag Singh of Manakheri (Manakwal) village in Malerkotla district.

Eight persons, including three children, had died in the incident and two more were feared drowned.

Complainant Gurvir Singh said he, along with other residents of the village, were travelling in a tempo Tata Ace (bearing registration no Punjab 05 AN 5072) when its driver Bhag Singh had allegedly plunged the vehicle into the Sirhind canal due to reckless driving.

“We were returning after paying obeisance at Naina Devi on Sunday in the tempo. The vehicle plunged into the canal due to reckless driving,” he stated to the Malaudh police in Khanna district, which registered an FIR against the suspect.

According to Gurvir Singh, eight persons had died and two more were feared drowned whereas 19 occupants were rescued during a joint operation conducted under the supervision of Khanna SSP Jyoti Yadav.

Meanwhile, bodies of all deceased were cremated at the village crematorium on Tuesday and rescue operation for the search of the remaining two persons was on till the evening.