Six from Punjab killed, 10 injured in road mishap in Himachal’s Una

Amb deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Manoj Jamwal said the car was overcrowded as 13 people were in the vehicle, which has seating capacity of eight.
Six pilgrims including four women and two men were killed and ten injured when the Toyota Qualis they were travelling in skidded off the road and rolled down a 70-feet gorge at Nehrian in Amb sub-division of Himachal Pradesh’s Una district on Monday morning. The car has a seating capacity of eight.
Five of the deceased are from Batala in Gurdaspur and one from Amritsar. They were returning home after paying obeisance and taking a holy dip at Gurdwara Baba Vadhbhag Singh, Mairi, in Amb, on the occasion of Buddh Purnima.
Three of the killed are Hardeep Singh, 25; Sawinder Singh, 50 and Kashmir Kaur, 37, from villages in Batala. Harjinder Kaur, 55, from Amritsar, is also among the dead. Two are yet to be identified.
Amb deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Manoj Jamwal said the car was overcrowded. “Prima facie, it seems the driver lost control on a sharp curve as a truck approached from the opposite side,” Jamwal added. However, one of the injured, who identified herself as Nimmi claimed that the driver lost control after having a fit.
Teams comprising firefighters and police personnel were pressed into the rescue operation, who retrieved the bodies and rushed the injured to the Amb Civil Hospital. Four people who were critical have been referred to the Una Hospital. Police have registered a case of rash and negligent driving and investigation is on.
Meanwhile, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur has expressed grief over the death of pilgrims. He has directed the district administration to ensure best possible treatment to the injured who have been admitted to the Amb and Una hospital.
Udanwal village sarpanch, from where Hardeep has been killed, told HT, “Every month, on Purnima, families from this and adjoining villages visit Gurdwara Baba Vadbagh Singh to pay obeisance. Hardeep, his wife Nimmo (one of the injured) and their 3-month old son and others were coming back when the accident happened.”
“Sawinder Singh had gone with his nephew, Amritpal Singh, who has been injured in the accident,” he added. All those involved in the incident are said to be associated with a dera at Balowal village.