Tragic accident near Alisher village; workers were taking a water break by the roadside, driver flees after abandoning car

Sangrur, 18 October (H.S.): Eight workers were killed and 13 others injured in a tragic road accident in Punjab’s Sangrur district on Sunday evening. The accident occurred near Alisher village on the Lehragaga-Jakhal road, where a speeding car ran over a group of workers sitting along the roadside. Women were also among the deceased.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann expressed deep sorrow over the accident in a post on the social media platform X. He said the Punjab government stood firmly with the affected families during this difficult time. The Chief Minister announced compensation of ₹2 lakh each for the families of those who lost their lives and said the entire medical treatment of the injured would be provided free of cost by the state government. He also prayed for peace for the departed souls, expressed condolences to the bereaved families and said strict action would be taken after the absconding driver was arrested.

According to the police, around 25 workers engaged under the Viksit Bharat Guarantee Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin were present at the site. Some of them had stopped by the roadside to drink water when the speeding car, coming from the Jakhal side, hit them.

According to an eyewitness, the accident took place at around 5:30 pm. The car reportedly struck a motorcycle first before veering out of control and ploughing into the group of workers. The incident triggered panic at the spot, and the injured were rushed to hospital for treatment.

Sangrur Superintendent of Police Palwinder Cheema said the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene. The car is reportedly registered in the name of Pargat Singh, a resident of Patiala. The police are searching for the absconding driver and investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident.

The deceased have been identified as Karamjeet Kaur, Jivan Singh, Niki, Sarabjeet Kaur, Ranjeet Kaur, Karamjeet, Rani Kaur and Desh Raj. All were residents of Alisher and neighbouring villages.

Deputy Commissioner Poonamdeep Kaur said the district administration was providing the necessary medical assistance to the injured.

Senior Medical Officer of Sangrur, Dr Vinod Kumar, said eight people had been brought to the hospital, including one who was declared dead on arrival. He added that five injured people were in stable condition, while two had been referred to another hospital for further treatment.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH