Two men were killed and five others were injured after a tyre burst caused a driver to loose control sending the vehicle across divider before it overturned onto an oncoming car near the Mandiwal bridge, close to the Chowkimann toll barrier, on the Ludhiana–Jagraon road on Wednesday afternoon, said police.
The deceased have been identified as Safi Hussain and Surajuddin, both residents of Tajpur Road, Ludhiana, they added.
According to information, Harshdeep Singh and Devkaran Singh, residents of village Khosa Randhir, were on their way to Ludhiana in a Maruti Suzuki Ritz.
They were reportedly heading to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital to inquire about a relative when the vehicle’s tyre allegedly burst, causing the driver to lose control.
The car crossed the divider and overturned onto a Swift car coming from the opposite direction.
The Swift was carrying five occupants—Safi Hussain, Surajuddin, Laldin, Mam Hussain and Sanu, all residents of Tajpur Road. The impact of the collision was severe, leaving both vehicles badly mangled.
Eyewitnesses said Saifuddin was trapped inside the wreckage.
The locals toiled hard to pull him out. He was rushed to civil hospital, Jagraon, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The injured were also shifted to civil hospital by the toll barrier ambulance and Sadak Surakhya Force (SSP) teams. Surajddin, who sustained critical injuries, was later referred to Ludhiana civil hospital where he died. Sipahiya, a relative of the victims stated that Surajddin has three daughters and a son, while Safi Hussain has four sons and a daughter. He added that they were going to Moga to attend a bhog.
After the mishap heavy traffic jam was witnessed on the stretch. Later, the police removed the mangled vehicles and restored the flow of traffic.
Deputy superintendent of police (DSP, Dakha) Varinder Singh Khosa said that the police are investigating to ascertain the reason behind the mishap.
A high drama witnessed at civil hospital in Khanna after kin of road mishap victim Safi Hussain reached there and tried to take his body from the mortuary forcefully.
The hospital staff deterred them and called on the police. The victim’s kin stated that they don’t want a postmortem to be conducted on the body.
