Rajpura: A tragic road accident on the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway claimed the life of a Volvo bus driver and left several pilgrims injured after the vehicle rammed into a trailer near Rajpura in Punjab during the early hours of the journey to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.
The bus, carrying devotees from Delhi to Katra, reportedly collided with a trailer moving ahead near Patarsi Kalan village. The impact was severe enough to completely wreck the front portion of the luxury bus.
The deceased driver was identified as Inderjit Singh from Ferozepur. Officials said he died at the scene before medical help could arrive. Around 42 passengers were travelling in the bus at the time of the accident.
At least 15 passengers suffered injuries in the crash. Six of the critically injured pilgrims were shifted to hospitals in Chandigarh for advanced treatment, while the remaining injured passengers were admitted to Fatehgarh Sahib Civil Hospital.
Local residents and commuters rushed to assist immediately after the collision and informed emergency services. Police teams, including senior officers from the Mulepur police station, soon reached the location and launched rescue operations with the help of locals.
Several passengers were trapped inside the damaged bus and had to be pulled out carefully before being taken to hospitals in ambulances.
Police officials said initial findings indicate that overspeeding may have contributed to the accident, though a detailed investigation is still underway. Authorities have sent the driver’s body for post-mortem examination and are examining all circumstances related to the crash.
The accident caused temporary disruption on the highway as damaged vehicles were cleared from the road and traffic movement was restored later.
