What Happened to the Six Pilgrims Who Died in Ludhiana?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Six pilgrims tragically lost their lives in a road accident.
- An overloaded mini-truck was involved in the incident.
- The pilgrims were returning from the Naina Devi temple.
- Divers have been deployed to recover bodies from the Sirhind canal.
- A police investigation is ongoing regarding the accident's cause.
Chandigarh, July 28 (NationPress) - Tragically, six pilgrims, including two children, lost their lives and five others are currently unaccounted for after an overloaded mini-truck, transporting 25 individuals, plunged into the swollen Sirhind canal in Ludhiana district, Punjab, as reported by police on Monday. The incident took place near the Jagera bridge on Malerkotla road close to Dehlon village on Sunday night. Divers have been dispatched to recover bodies from the canal.
This morning, Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain, Senior Superintendent of Police Jyoti Yadav, local legislator Manvinder Singh Giaspura, among other officials from the police and administration, arrived at the scene to supervise the ongoing search efforts.
According to police, the majority of the pilgrims were successfully rescued and have been admitted to local hospitals.
The victims were returning to their village, Manakwal, after visiting the renowned hilltop Naina Devi temple located in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh.
Survivors indicated that the accident was caused by the driver attempting to overtake another vehicle.
A survivor explained that the driver lost control while overtaking, resulting in the mini-truck overturning and plunging into the canal.
Superintendent of Police Jyoti Yadav informed the media that upon receiving news of the accident, a team from the police and administration quickly responded to the site, transporting the injured to hospitals.
She confirmed that six individuals died in the incident, with others currently receiving treatment.
Deputy Commissioner Jain stated that 24 to 25 people were aboard the vehicle and confirmed the deaths of six individuals, including two children, three women, and one man.
Village Sarpanch Kesar Singh reported that on July 26, a group of 25 villagers traveled to Naina Devi for worship in a pickup vehicle and unfortunately encountered the accident on their way back home.
Some of the injured have been referred to Ahmedgarh Mandi, while others were taken to hospitals in Ludhiana and Khanna.