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Driver among 2 crushed to death under sugarcane bundles in Khanna
Mishap happened late on Wednesday night; on Thursday morning, a Jagraon lawyer died after his taxi rammed into the tractor-trailer in Khanna
The driver of a tractor-trailer was among two farmers killed later on Wednesday after being crushed by bundles of sugarcane they were transporting on a tractor-trailer, officials said.
The farmers were killed as the bundles lost balance and toppled over, crushing them, as they were on the national highway near Bahomajra village in Khanna, the officials added.
To add to the woes, a Jagraon-based lawyer died after a taxi he was travelling in rammed into the same tractor-trailer stuck on the roadside at the accident spot early on Thursday, the officials added.
According to police, Gurdeep Singh and his neighbour Didar Singh, residents of Majri, were transporting a sugarcane to Amloh when the rope securing the bundles snapped, leading to the tractor losing balance and veering off course and ramming into a railing.
Police said that due to the downward slope, the sugarcane bundles toppled over, burying both men underneath.
Locals alerted the police. They managed to pull the victims from under the sugarcane bundles after prolonged efforts.
Gurdeep Singh dies on the spot and Didar Singh was rushed to the civil hospital Khanna. However, he succumbed to injuries en route.
When the doctor on emergency duty ordered the bodies be to the mortuary for post-mortem, Gurdeep Singh’s relatives refused, insisting they will take the body in their own vehicle without an autopsy.
Police had to be called in to handle the situation.
After being alerted about the incident, a Sadak Surakhya Force (SSF) team stationed half a kilometre away arrived at the scene.
Sub-inspector Sukhdev Singh said they pulled out the trapped men with the help of passersby but could not save them.
Cab driver ‘dozed off’, rammed into stranded vehicle
The stranded tractor-trailer led to another accident early on Thursday morning.
A lawyer from Jagroan, identified as Mahinderpal Singh, and his wife, Kamaljit Kaur, were travelling in a taxi to Delhi for a relative’s funeral, rammed into the vehicle, leading to the former’s death.
The taxi driver reportedly dozed off near Khanna, causing the vehicle to collide with the tractor-trailer, despite SSF personnel placing warning cones. The deceased’s wife sustained injuries.
The Sadar police have launched investigations into both the accidents.
