A major accident took place on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road near Jagjitpur village on Saturday morning when a mini-bus collided with a motorcycle cart. In the collision, three members of the same family were killed, including a three-year-old child, and two others have been left injured.
According to SHO Kirpal Singh of the Rawalpindi police station, the accident took place at around 9:30 AM. Five members of a family from Balbir Colony, Hoshiarpur, who were returning home from Phagwara on motorcycle cart were hit by a mini bus of a private mill with registration no. PB-09AP-2079.
Identified among the victims are Garib Das, his mother-in-law Phulwati and his three-year-old son Manpreet, who died on the spot or shortly after the crash. Very seriously injured were Garib Das’s wife Rajni and their 1.5-year-old daughter Gurpreet. They were rushed to the civil hospital. As they were in a critical condition, they were referred to the higher medical center in Jalandhar later.
Ramphal, a Virk village local and relative of the victims, said the family was travelling in a motorcycle cart bought during their visit. The mini-bus which hit them was said to transport laborers to a local mill.
SHO Kirpal Singh termed the incident a bus accident and said that the driver has been arrested while the vehicle has been impounded for investigation. Emergency doctor Manpreet Kaur said that two victims were certified dead on arrival while one died during treatment.
The tragic accident spelled more dangers in winter mornings as dense fog and poor visibility can play havoc on the roads.