4 Amarnath pilgrims from Rajasthan killed in Bathinda highway crash
Synopsis
Four Amarnath pilgrims from Barmer, Rajasthan were killed and eight injured when their hired Tempo Traveller ploughed into a parked truck on the Bathinda-Bikaner National Highway at dawn on 1 July. The dead reportedly include a father and daughter. It is a grim reminder of the highway dangers faced by pilgrim convoys each yatra season.
Key Takeaways
Four pilgrims from Barmer, Rajasthan were killed on 1 July in a road accident on the Bathinda-Bikaner National Highway , Punjab.
Their hired Tempo Traveller rammed into a stationary truck near Jodhpur Romana–Gurusar Sanewala in Bathinda at around 6:30 am .
Eight others sustained serious injuries and are undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bathinda .
The group of 10–12 people were en route to the Amarnath Yatra .
The deceased include a man aged around 50 and a young woman aged approximately 24–25 , reportedly a father and daughter.
Bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination ; police are investigating.
Four Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from Barmer, Rajasthan were killed and eight others seriously injured on Wednesday, 1 July after their hired Tempo Traveller rammed into a stationary truck on the Bathinda-Bikaner National Highway in Punjab's Bathinda district. The impact was so severe that the van was completely wrecked, according to officials at the scene.
How the accident unfolded
The collision occurred between Jodhpur Romana and Gurusar Sanewala in Bathinda at around 6:30 am. The group of 10 to 12 people — comprising family members and family friends — were travelling to the Amarnath Yatra in a hired vehicle when the van struck a truck that was parked on the roadside. Four pilgrims died on the spot; the remaining eight were rushed to hospital by ambulance.
Sandeep Singh, a worker with the Sahara Jan Seva Sanstha, said, 'We received information at our control room today about an accident between Jodhpur Romana and Gurusar Sanewala in Bathinda. When we reached the spot, we saw that a Traveller van had collided with a stationary trailer. There were 11 to 12 passengers on board; four died on the spot, and seven to eight others were injured.'
Victims and medical response
Three bodies were transferred to the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, while a fourth was sent to AIIMS Bathinda. The eight injured are currently undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bathinda.
Dr Lavdeep Singh, emergency medical officer at the Civil Hospital, confirmed that personnel from the Sahara Jan Seva Sanstha arrived with three bodies at approximately 6:30 am. 'They were informed at the hospital that an accident had occurred on the highway, resulting in the death of three people on the spot. All the bodies have been kept in the mortuary,' he said.
An examination of Aadhaar cards and other documents confirmed that all the victims were residents of Barmer district, Rajasthan.
What police said
DSP Harvinder Singh Sara said, 'At around 6:30 this morning, a tragic accident took place. Around 10 to 12 people, including family members and family friends from Barmer, Rajasthan, were travelling to the Amarnath Yatra in a hired Tempo Traveller. The vehicle rammed into a truck that was parked on the roadside from the rear. Four people died on the spot, while the remaining eight were admitted to hospital and are undergoing treatment.'
DSP Sara added that the deceased included members from different families — among them what appears to be a father and daughter. The victims included a man aged around 50 years and a young woman aged approximately 24–25 years. The truck was stationary on the roadside at the time of the collision.
Context and what comes next
The Amarnath Yatra, one of India's most significant Hindu pilgrimages, draws hundreds of thousands of devotees each year to the high-altitude shrine in Jammu and Kashmir. Highway accidents involving pilgrim convoys are a recurring hazard, particularly on national highways in the early morning hours when visibility and fatigue are risk factors. Police have taken possession of the bodies and sent them for post-mortem examinations. Further details are awaited as the investigation continues.
Point of View
Often travelling overnight or at dawn, colliding with stationary or slow-moving heavy vehicles on national highways. The Bathinda-Bikaner corridor is a high-density freight route, and the risk of parked trucks without adequate rear lighting or reflectors is a known hazard that authorities have repeatedly failed to address systematically. The loss of four lives from a single district in Rajasthan — including what appears to be a father and daughter — underscores that the safety infrastructure for pilgrimage travel lags far behind the scale of the yatra. Better enforcement of parking regulations on national highways and mandatory rest stops for pilgrim vehicles deserve urgent policy attention.
NationPress
1 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on the Bathinda-Bikaner highway on 1 July?
A hired Tempo Traveller carrying Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from Barmer, Rajasthan collided with a stationary truck on the Bathinda-Bikaner National Highway in Punjab's Bathinda district at around 6:30 am on 1 July. Four pilgrims died on the spot and eight others were seriously injured.
Who were the victims of the Bathinda highway accident?
All victims were residents of Barmer district in Rajasthan, confirmed through Aadhaar cards and other documents. The deceased reportedly include a man aged around 50 and a young woman aged approximately 24–25, believed to be a father and daughter.
Where are the injured pilgrims being treated?
The eight injured pilgrims are undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bathinda. Three of the four bodies were taken to the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, while one was sent to AIIMS Bathinda for post-mortem examination.
What caused the Bathinda Amarnath pilgrim accident?
According to police, the Tempo Traveller rammed into a truck that was parked on the roadside. DSP Harvinder Singh Sara confirmed the truck was stationary at the time of the rear-end collision.
What is the Amarnath Yatra?
The Amarnath Yatra is one of India's most prominent Hindu pilgrimages, undertaken annually to the Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir. It draws hundreds of thousands of devotees each year, with pilgrims travelling from across the country.
