20 pilgrims killed in Hoshiarpur accident
Friday, 11/10/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20131011/punjab.htm#5
Twenty pilgrims, among them 12 women and four children, returning from the Chintpurni shrine, were killed and 45 injured when the truck (Tata 407) carrying them plunged into a 200-ft deep gorge near Manguwal village, 20 km from here.
Eyewitnesses said the driver failed to negotiate a sharp turn and the truck into the gorge. Senior Superintendent of Police Sukhchain Singh, who monitored the rescue operation, said truck driver Tarsem Singh of Bhogpur village in Jalandhar had been arrested. He had told the police that he was unable to apply the brake because of a snag.
The police, with the assistance of locals, extricated the injured with the help of ropes. A battery of 100 policemencompleted the rescue operation in three hours.
Some of the injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital, Gagret. Two succumbed to injuries while being taken to the Civil Hospital, Hoshiarpur. A critically injured patient, Shinda, was referred to the PGI in Chandigarh. Six other patients were referred to Johal Multi-Speciality Hospital and Joshi Hospital in Jalandhar.
Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani visited the injured at the Hoshiarpur hospital. He announced Rs 1 lakh for the next of kin of each of the deceased and Rs 25,000 for the injured. Former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur also visited the hospital on receiving news of the death of 17 persons from her constituency (Bholath). She gave Rs 5,000 to the family members of each of the deceased who were identified as Lovejit Singh (14), Prabhjot Kaur (15), Abhi (2) Sukhwinder Kaur (30), Piar Kaur (55) Manisha (7), Harbhajan Kaur (55), Kuldeep Singh (40) and Nanjo (60), all residents of Fatehpur village; Harpreet Kaur (18), Surjit Kaur (50), Sukhdev Ram (32),Sarwan Kumar (45), Reena Rani (19), Kajal (13) and Pritam Kaur (60) of Bajaja village; Santosh (35) of Miani, Disho (50) and Jamuna (23) of Bassi Akhara in Jalandhar and Shinder (40) of Sibhu village in Hoshiarpur.
