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8 of family killed in Kaithal as car plunges into canal
According to police, the incident occurred around 11 am when the family was heading to Guhna village to attend Dussehra celebrations at Ravidas Dera. Karamjeet reportedly lost control over the wheel, causing the car to fall into the canal which lacked a retaining wall.
Eight members of a family, including three women and five girls, lost their lives as the car they were travelling in fell into a canal in Kaithal’s Mundri village on Saturday.
The deceased were identified as Chameli, 65, her daughters-in-law Darshana, 40, and Sukhwinder, 30, their daughters, Fiza, 18, Komal, 15, Kajal, 12, Riya, 8, and Vandana, 5, all natives of Deeg village in Pundri block of Kaithal.
Darshana’s husband Karamjeet, who was driving the newly purchased Alto, is the sole survivor in the incident.
According to police, the incident occurred around 11 am when the family was heading to Guhna village to attend Dussehra celebrations at Ravidas Dera. Karamjeet reportedly lost control over the wheel, causing the car to fall into the canal which lacked a retaining wall.
Eyewitnesses informed the police and initiated rescue operations until divers came in. While Karamjeet was rescued, five others were declared brought dead at the hospital and two others succumbed during treatment. The body of 15-year-old Komal was recovered a couple of hours later. Karamjeet continues to remain under treatment.
Sub-inspector Harpal Singh of Kaithal Police said that the station house officer (SHO) of Pundri police station along with his staff dived into the canal to look for the missing girl and were later joined by the divers.
“We will record the statements of the driver to understand what happened,” he added.
Pundri MLA Satpal Jamba, who was at the spot, asked the officials to ensure every possible help.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each of the deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured. He expressed his condolences via X: “The road accident in Kaithal, Haryana is heartbreaking. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in it. May God give them strength to bear this pain. The local administration, under the supervision of the state government, is engaged in all possible help on the spot. (sic)”
Nayab Saini, who is set to take oath as Haryana CM for the third term of the BJP government, also condoled the incident.
4 friends killed in Panipat as truck hits car
In another tragic incident, four friends died in Panipat after their vehicle was allegedly hit by a truck on the elevated corridor on Friday night.
The deceased were identified as Rohit, Nitin, Akshay and Rahul, all residents of Sonepat district.
One of their friends, Saurav, was also injured in the mishap.
Another friend, Rohit, who was travelling in a separate car, said the group was headed to Panipat for a work-related trip.
“We were told that a truck rammed into their car, causing it to hit a divider and light pole and subsequently catch fire. All of them were taken to the hospital, where they were declared brought dead. Saurav is undergoing treatment at a private hospital,” he added.
