At least seven pilgrims, including three women, died and eight others sustained injuries in a road accident in Jind district, Haryana, early Tuesday morning, according to police reports.
The tragic incident occurred on the Hisar-Chandigarh National Highway when a truck loaded with logs rear-ended a passenger van, identified as a Tata Magic. The force of the collision caused the van to veer off the road and tumble into a ditch. The van was transporting devotees from Kurukshetra, Haryana, to Gogamedi in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh district.
The truck driver fled the scene following the accident. The victims, from Mercheri village in Kurukshetra, had set out on their journey the previous evening. The crash happened near Bidharana village in Narwana.
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Passersby attempted to assist the trapped passengers, but darkness and the severity of the crash complicated rescue efforts. Despite the challenges, rescuers from the police worked to extricate those trapped in the wreckage.
The injured were initially taken to the Civil Hospital in Narwana. However, doctors at Narwana hospital declared seven deceased and referred the injured to Agroha Medical College for further treatment.
Police have filed a case and launched an investigation into the accident. Early reports suggest that reckless driving by the truck driver may have contributed to the crash.
This incident highlights the ongoing issue of road safety in India, which faces the highest number of road fatalities globally, with approximately 250,000 deaths annually.
