3 Kanwariyas killed near Sirhind in Punjab highway truck accident
Synopsis
Three Kanwar pilgrims died and one was critically injured after a truck ploughed into a group of 100 devotees near Sirhind, Punjab, at around 2:30 am on 9 August — the third deadly road accident to strike Kanwar pilgrims within weeks, following 18 deaths in Jharkhand's Deoghar last month and a fatal Begusarai crash days earlier.
Key Takeaways
Three Kanwariyas were killed and one critically injured after a truck hit pilgrims near Sirhind, Fatehgarh Sahib , at around 2:30 am on 9 August .
Around 100 Kanwariyas were on the highway; six were directly struck — three died, one was seriously injured, two escaped unhurt.
The pilgrims were returning from Haridwar with holy Ganga water for Lord Shiva's worship.
The truck driver remained unidentified; post-mortem of the deceased was under way as of the time of reporting.
A similar truck accident in Bihar's Begusarai killed the tempo driver days earlier; 18 Kanwariyas died in a bus-truck collision in Jharkhand's Deoghar last month.
Three Kanwar pilgrims were killed and one left critically injured after an unidentified truck struck a group of devotees near Sirhind in Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib district in the early hours of Sunday, 9 August. The accident occurred on the main highway between 2:15 am and 2:30 am IST, as the pilgrims were returning from Haridwar after collecting holy water from the River Ganga for Lord Shiva's worship.
What Happened on the Highway
Mukesh Kumar, a sevadar at Shiv Seva Kanwar Sangh, said a group of around 100 Kanwariyas was moving along the main highway when the truck struck them. 'There was an accident near Sirhind on the main highway between 2.15 and 2.30 a.m. There were around 100 Kanwariyas. An unidentified truck driver hit them. Six of them were hit, of whom three died, one was seriously injured, while two others are fine,' he said. The driver of the truck had not been identified at the time of reporting.
Post-Mortem and Repatriation Under Way
Kumar added that post-mortem examinations of the three deceased were under way, after which their bodies would be transported to their hometowns via ambulances arranged by social organisations. The identities of the deceased had not been officially released at the time of publication.
A Pattern of Pilgrimage Road Tragedies
The Fatehgarh Sahib accident is part of a troubling pattern of road fatalities during the annual Kanwar Yatra season. On Thursday, a speeding truck rammed into a broken-down CNG tempo carrying Kanwar devotees in Bihar's Begusarai district, in the Sahebpur Kamal police station area between Bakhda Dhala and Sanha Dhala. The tempo, which was ferrying pilgrims from Barauni to Sultanganj to collect Ganga water, had developed a mechanical fault. As the driver and passengers stepped out to push the vehicle along the roadside, the truck allegedly crashed into them from behind. The tempo driver died during treatment; several Kanwariyas sustained injuries.
Last month, 18 Kanwariyas were killed in a bus-truck collision in Jharkhand's Deoghar during the Shravani Mela. In that incident, a bus carrying approximately 35 devotees en route to offer jal at Baba Baidyanath Dham was struck head-on by a truck transporting gas cylinders. Eyewitnesses described the impact as so severe that the bus was reportedly torn apart.
Safety Concerns During Kanwar Season
The Kanwar Yatra draws millions of devotees across northern and eastern India each year, many of whom travel on foot or in overcrowded vehicles along national and state highways — often at night. Road safety authorities have repeatedly flagged the vulnerability of pilgrims walking on carriageways during peak Yatra months, but enforcement has remained inconsistent. With multiple fatal incidents recorded within weeks, calls for dedicated pilgrimage corridors and overnight convoy protocols are expected to intensify.
Point of View
Begusarai, and now Fatehgarh Sahib — are not a coincidence; they reflect a structural failure in managing one of India's largest seasonal pilgrimages on roads that were never designed for it. Millions of devotees walk or ride on national highways at night with minimal lighting, no dedicated lanes, and erratic enforcement. State governments announce Yatra arrangements each year, but the pattern of deaths suggests those arrangements stop well short of the highways where pilgrims are most exposed. The question that should follow every such tragedy — why are trucks still sharing these corridors with foot pilgrims at 2 am — rarely gets a durable answer.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Kanwariyas near Sirhind in Punjab?
Three Kanwar pilgrims were killed and one was critically injured after an unidentified truck struck a group of around 100 devotees on the main highway near Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib district, Punjab, between 2:15 am and 2:30 am on 9 August. The pilgrims were returning from Haridwar with holy Ganga water.
How many Kanwariyas were hit in the Fatehgarh Sahib accident?
Six pilgrims were directly struck by the truck. Three died, one sustained serious injuries, and two others escaped without significant harm, according to Mukesh Kumar, a sevadar at Shiv Seva Kanwar Sangh.
Has there been a similar Kanwar Yatra accident recently?
Yes. In Bihar's Begusarai, a speeding truck rammed a broken-down CNG tempo carrying Kanwar devotees earlier in the same week, killing the tempo driver. Last month, 18 Kanwariyas were killed in a bus-truck collision in Jharkhand's Deoghar during the Shravani Mela.
What is the Kanwar Yatra and why are pilgrims on highways at night?
The Kanwar Yatra is an annual Hindu pilgrimage during the month of Shravan in which devotees — known as Kanwariyas — travel to rivers like the Ganga to collect holy water and offer it at Shiva temples. Many travel on foot or in vehicles along national highways, often at night, making them vulnerable to road accidents.
What happens to the bodies of the deceased Kanwariyas?
According to Mukesh Kumar of Shiv Seva Kanwar Sangh, post-mortem examinations were under way after the accident. Once completed, the bodies were to be transported to the hometowns of the deceased via ambulances arranged by social organisations.
