Chandigarh, April 15 (IANS) At least six people were killed, and around 20 were injured as the bus carrying devotees overturned in Punjab’s Fatehgarh Sahib while returning from Anandpur Sahib, police said on Wednesday.

The injured included women and children. They were immediately admitted to nearby hospitals, where they are currently undergoing treatment.

The bus, with around 40 people on board, was returning from Anandpur Sahib in Ropar district after paying obeisance on the occasion of Baisakhi when it developed a snag.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shubham Agarwal told the media that devotees belonging to the Bassi Assembly constituency had travelled to Anandpur Sahib to pay obeisance. While returning in the evening, the vehicle reportedly developed a mechanical fault that led to the accident.

Prima facie, the cause of the accident was that the driver lost control of the vehicle, and the bus rammed into an electric pole before overturning, he said.

Local residents rushed to the spot and helped rescue the injured. Police and emergency teams also reached the spot and launched the rescue operation.

The injured were initially shifted to hospitals in Morinda and Fatehgarh Sahib, while those critically injured have been referred to the PGIMER in Chandigarh.

Police said investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of the accident.

The accident took place around 10 p.m. Tuesday near Himmatpura on the Morinda-Chunni road in the Bassi Pathana area.

Shiromani Akali Dal Member of Parliament Harsimrat Badal expressed deep grief over the accident. “Hearing the news of the death of six devotees due to the bus overturning of pilgrims coming from Sri Anandpur Sahib has caused immense grief. May Guru Sahib grant abode at His feet to the departed souls and bestow swift recovery upon the injured,” she wrote on X.

–IANS

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