Five killed as speeding bus hits truck, falls into drain in Faridkot

At least five persons were killed and 30 others seriously injured this morning when an overspeeding private bus collided with a goods-laden truck and skidded off the Kotkapura-Faridkot road into a drain.

Among the deceased were Simran, a teacher from Kendriya Vidyalaya, and bus conductor Atam Singh. The injured were rushed to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot for urgent medical treatment.

Officials said the bus involved in the accident belonged to New Deep Bus Service, a transport company owned by AAP MLA from Gidderbaha, Dimpy Dhillon. The police have registered a case against the bus driver, Kewal Singh, under Section 105 of the BNS Act, which pertains to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The case was filed on a complaint by Sukhdeep Singh, a passenger from Abohar who was traveling to Amritsar. According to the FIR, the driver was allegedly speeding and driving recklessly from the start of the journey, despite repeated pleas from terrified passengers to slow down. The accident left several persons maimed. The sight of a severed arm on the road shocked onlookers.

Pragya Jain, SSP, stated that as soon as the incident was reported, the district police and civil administration launched rescue efforts. She confirmed that the accident occurred while the bus was attempting to overtake another vehicle on a bridge.

Deputy Commissioner Vineet Kumar assured that a detailed report on the incident would be sent to the Chief Minister. He said barricades would be installed at the accident site to prevent future mishaps.

The SSP warned that strict action would be taken against drivers who oversped, emphasising that such measures were necessary to avoid devastating incidents in the future.