The tragedy has cast a heavy shadow over the Manakwal village in Malerkotla, as the kin of the deceased and survivors try to come to terms with life after the mishap.
Among the survivors is 35-year-old Jaswinder Singh, who lost his family —his two minor children and wife in the mishap.
Jaswinder, still trying to come to terms, is barely audible as he tries to explain how his world shattered in a matter of seconds.
“I survived... but my entire world drowned,” Jaswinder whispered. His wife Kamaljit Kaur, 25, their daughter Arshdeep, 4, and son Akashdeep, 8, were among the eight who lost their lives. Jaswinder was one of the lucky few who were pulled out alive.
Most of the families are either small-scale farmers or daily wagers, and the tragedy hit multiple households in the village. Krishna Kaur, 60, was pulled out lifeless, while her husband Kesar Singh, 70, is still missing. A young mother, Sarabjit Kaur, 26, was saved, but her husband, Gurpreet Singh and their infant son, Sukhman, are gone. While the infant’s body has been found, her husband is still missing.
An elderly woman in the village, who didn’t wish to be named, said: “They had gone for darshan... they will never come back.” She said the entire village had pooled resources to organise the pilgrimage. “It was meant to be a spiritual retreat, a moment of peace. Instead, it has become a mourning,” she said
{{/usCountry}}An elderly woman in the village, who didn’t wish to be named, said: “They had gone for darshan... they will never come back.” She said the entire village had pooled resources to organise the pilgrimage. “It was meant to be a spiritual retreat, a moment of peace. Instead, it has become a mourning,” she said
{{/usCountry}}Many survivors spoke of the chaos, the screams, and the sudden jolt when the truck plunged into the swirling canal waters. “We were laughing just moments before it happened,” said one survivor, his voice cracking. “Then there was water... just water everywhere. And cries.”