Gurdaspur: Two devotees lost their lives and at least 14 others sustained serious injuries after a tempo traveller carrying pilgrims collided with a tipper truck on the Amritsar-Pathankot National Highway near Batala in Gurdaspur district on Friday.
According to preliminary information, the devotees were returning from a pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi shrine when the accident took place near Udhowal Adda. Police said the tipper truck, which was travelling ahead of the tempo traveller, allegedly made a sudden turn, resulting in a collision with the vehicle following behind.
The impact of the crash was severe, causing extensive damage to the tempo traveller. A man and a woman died in the accident, while several other passengers suffered injuries.
Authorities said all the victims were residents of the Mansa region of Punjab.
Local residents, along with police personnel, launched rescue operations immediately after the accident. The injured were shifted to the Civil Hospital in Batala for treatment.
Due to the seriousness of their injuries, doctors referred the injured passengers to hospitals in Amritsar for advanced medical care after providing initial treatment.
Police have initiated an investigation to determine the exact circumstances that led to the accident.
