Eight workers were killed and 12 others injured after a speeding car ploughed into a group of labourers resting by the roadside in Punjab’s Sangrur district on Sunday afternoon.
Eight workers were killed and 12 others injured after a speeding car ploughed into a group of labourers resting by the roadside in Punjab’s Sangrur district on Sunday afternoon, triggering protests by locals over the alleged delay in ambulance services. The accident took place on the Lehragaga-Jakhal road near Alisher village, around 50 km from Sangrur district headquarters. According to eyewitnesses, a white sedan travelling from Jakhal first rammed into a motorcyclist parked along the road before crashing into the workers, who were taking a water break after working on a road project.
Five workers died on the spot, while three others succumbed to their injuries at a hospital, police said. The 12 injured workers were rushed to Rajindra Hospital in nearby Patiala for treatment.
The victims were part of a group of 23 labourers employed under a rural employment scheme and were working on a road construction project when the tragedy unfolded.
Police said the occupants of the vehicle, which bore a Patiala registration number, were apprehended at the scene. However, the driver fled following the crash.
The deadly collision sparked outrage among residents, who blocked the Lehragaga-Jakhal road in protest, alleging that ambulances arrived late at the accident site. The blockade brought traffic to a standstill as locals demanded accountability over the incident.
DSP (D) Palwinder Singh Cheema assured the protesters that strict legal action would be taken for rash and negligent driving.
All eight deceased were identified as residents of Alisher village. The victims were Karamjit Kaur, Jeevan Singh, Nikki, Sarabjit Kaur, Ranjit Begum, Karamjit, Rani Kaur, and Desraj.