Eight people, including a three-year-old girl and her mother, were killed and 32 injured as a private mini bus overturned on Hajipur road in Hoshiarpur’s Dasuya sub division on Monday.
Seven persons died on the spot, whereas one succumbed to injuries during treatment at Dasuya civil hospital.
Four critically injured have been referred to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Amritsar.
When the bus flipped over in the middle of the road, a Maruti Alto coming from Dasuya rammed into it. The car driver survived with minor injuries.
The bus was going from Talwara to Dasuya.
People from nearby areas pulled out some of the passengers but most were badly trapped and could be rescued only after the bus was erected with the help of JCB machines. On arrival in the civil hospital, seven passengers, including the child, were declared brought dead. Shortly after, another woman succumbed.
The injured said the driver was speeding, while the bus was overloaded with some passengers standing as there was no room to sit.
“I was standing at the rear end. At first, I thought the bus had hit a pothole but then it swirled around and overturned,” said one of the injured.
{{/usCountry}}“I was standing at the rear end. At first, I thought the bus had hit a pothole but then it swirled around and overturned,” said one of the injured.
{{/usCountry}}Eyewitnesses said it was a gory scene with passengers bleeding and screaming. “Our clothes too were soaked in blood as we rescued them. It was heart wrenching to see a baby with a soother in her mouth, lying dead,” an eyewitness said.
As the injured were carried in ambulances to the civil hospital, medical teams provided them first aid.
Senior medical officer Manmohan Singh said that seven passengers were brought dead and one died during treatment.
Dasuya MLA Karamvir Singh Ghumman reached the hospital to ensure that the patients were given proper treatment.
Deputy commissioner Ashika Jain said free treatment would be provided to the accident victims under the state government’s Farishtey scheme.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann expressed grief over the accident and said he was in touch with the district authorities for the treatment of the accident victims.
Dasuya deputy superintendent of police Balwinder Singh Jaura said that a case was registered against the bus driver for rash driving and causing death by negligence.