Sangrur: At least nine MGNREGA workers were killed and several others seriously injured after a speeding car rammed into labourers working along the Lehragaga-Jakhal main road near Alisher village in Punjab on Sunday, according to preliminary reports.
Around 23 workers, including men and women, were reportedly working along the roadside when the car struck them shortly before 5 pm. Most of those killed were reportedly women, including some elderly workers. Some reports suggested the death toll could be as high as 10, but the final number had not been confirmed.
Following the accident, local residents and authorities helped shift the injured to government hospitals in Lehragaga and Sunam, where they were being treated. Senior police and administrative officials reached the accident site and hospitals after receiving information about the incident.
The car driver allegedly fled the scene after the collision. Police have launched an investigation and searches to trace the driver.
The accident triggered anger among local residents, who staged a protest on the main road and questioned the alleged delay in the police response. They pointed out that a police post was located only a short distance from the accident site.
The incident plunged the area into mourning, while the protest led to tension along the highway. The circumstances surrounding the crash and the final casualty figures were yet to be confirmed.
