Five dead as car falls into Bhakra canal after being hit by bus

In a bid to overtake, the bus hit the car with such intensity that it broke the railing of the bridge and fell into the Bhakra canal

: Five persons, including two women, died on Monday when the car in which they were travelling fell into the Bhakra canal after being hit by a bus that was trying to overtake the ill-fated vehicle.

Five dead as car falls into Bhakra canal after being hit by bus

It is suspected that two children, reported to be travelling with the victims, too have lost their lives in the accident that happened on Ahmedpur bridge near Ghanauli in Rupnagar. Police have found children’s shoes from the car.

It is feared that the children have been swept away by the water current and their search is on.

The Creta car with a Rajasthan registration number was pulled out of the canal with a hydra machine. A total of five bodies, including two men, two women and a youth, were taken out from inside the car.

Three of the deceased have been identified as Sarita Punia, her husband Satish Poonia and one Rajesh Kumar. According to an identity card found in a purse, Poonias are residents of Shrimadhopur Thikaria Baudy in Sikar district of Rajasthan.

In a bid to overtake, the bus, belonging to a private company, hit the car with such intensity that it broke the railing of the bridge and fell into the canal.

Local residents began the work of pulling out the car and ordered a hydra machine, while police roped in some divers to locate the car and fish out dead bodies.

Surinder Singh, an eyewitness, said that after the car fell into the canal, the passengers trapped inside the vehicle opened the window glass and raised an alarm. But they could not be saved as the car sank as soon as it fell into the canal.

Police have registered a case and taken the bus into custody. The bodies have been sent for post mortem.