22 hurt as Free Tirath Yatra bus overturns in Fatehgarh Sahib

Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, September 2

As many as 22 people, including three little girls, were injured when a rashly driven bus carrying 60 passengers to Amritsar under the Chief Minister Free Tirath Yatra scheme overturned near Sadhugarh village in the district in the wee hours of Friday.

Sarabjit Singh, SHO, Badali Ala Singh police station, said 15 people had been rushed to the civil hospital, Patiala, while seven people had been brought to civil hospital here of which two seriously injured had been referred to Rajindra hospital, Patiala. However, no loss of life was reported.

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According to information, the bus had started its journey for Amritsar from Laldu Kalan village near Ganaur in Patiala district at about 4.30 am. When the driver of the bus tried to take the vehicle on main GT road near Sadhugarh village he lost the control and the bus overturned causing injuries to 21 people.

The injured who had been brought to the civil hospital here have been identified as Sindar Ram; Swarnjit Kaur; Malkit Ram; Talwinder Kaur; bus driver Lakhwinder Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran district; conductor Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Ganaur; Pawanjot Kaur (4), Ranjna (5) and Sanjna (7).

The passersby and the bus passengers claimed that the driver was driving the vehicle rashly and was busy talking to the conductor and other passengers when the accident occurred. The passengers said most of the injured were daily wage-earners and demanded compensation besides free treatment.