Bathinda, July 1 (IANS) Four en route to the Amarnath Yatra died as the vehicle carrying pilgrims from Rajasthan collided with a truck on the Bathinda-Bikaner National Highway in Punjab’s Bathinda district on Wednesday morning.

Eight people sustained serious injuries and have been admitted to AIIMS, Bathinda, for treatment.

Officials stated that the accident occurred on the Bathinda-Bikaner National Highway, where

The devotees were travelling in a traveller van. The impact was so severe that the van was completely wrecked.

A police team arrived at the scene upon receiving information. The injured were immediately rushed to the hospital via ambulance, while the police took possession of the bodies and sent them for post-mortem examinations.

Sandeep Singh, a worker with the Sahara Jan Seva Sanstha, said, “We received information at our control room today about an accident between Jodhpur Romana and Gurusar Sanewala in Bathinda. When we reached the spot, we saw that a ‘Traveller’ van had collided with a stationary trailer. There were 11 to 12 passengers on board; four died on the spot, and seven to eight others were injured.”

He mentioned that three bodies were sent to the Civil Hospital, while the body of one individual was sent to AIIMS, Bathinda. The other injured passengers are undergoing treatment at AIIMS.

Dr Lavdeep Singh, an emergency medical officer at the Civil Hospital, stated that personnel from the Sahara Jan Seva Sanstha arrived with the bodies of three individuals around 6:30 a.m. “They were informed at the hospital that an accident had occurred on the highway, resulting in the death of three people on the spot. All the bodies have been kept in the mortuary. The other injured individuals were taken to AIIMS Bathinda,” he added.

Dr Lovdeep Singh stated that an examination of Aadhaar cards and other documents revealed that all the individuals were residents of the Barmer district in Rajasthan.

DSP Harvinder Singh Sara, speaking to IANS, said, “At around 6:30 this morning, a tragic accident took place. Around 10 to 12 people, including family members and family friends from Barmer, Rajasthan, were travelling to the Amarnath Yatra in a hired Tempo Traveller. The vehicle rammed into a truck that was parked on the roadside from the rear. Four people died on the spot, while the remaining eight were admitted to hospital and are undergoing treatment.”

“The victims belonged to villages in Barmer of Rajasthan and were on their way to the Amarnath Yatra. The truck was stationary on the roadside when the accident occurred. Among those who died were members from different families, including what appears to be a father and daughter. The deceased include a man aged around 50 years and a young woman aged about 24–25 years,” he added.

Further details are awaited.

–IANS

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