A truck ran over roadside shanties near Rail Coach Factory on Kapurthala-Sultanpur Lodhi road on Friday at around 5am, killing two people on the spot, injuring one critically while a a dozen sustained minor injuries.
The deceased have been identified as 17-year-old girl Sheesham and her uncle Pintu, 30.
Sheesham’s mother, 45-year-old Chorsi Devi, sustained serious injuries and was rushed to civil hospital. Her condition was said to be critical.
Native of Munger district in Bihar, the victims had been living in roadside shanties for several years.
Police reached two hours late
Even as the police post is near the accident spot, their team from the city and Sultanpur Lodhi reached two hours late at around 7am and started the rescue operation.
{{/usCountry}}Even as the police post is near the accident spot, their team from the city and Sultanpur Lodhi reached two hours late at around 7am and started the rescue operation.
{{/usCountry}}Several people held protest against the police and blocked the Kapurthala-Sultanpur Lodhi road for half-an-hour. Protesters left only after police reached at the spot.
It took the police two hours to rescue the dead bodies buried under the truck with the help of a crane.
Station house officer, Sultanpur Lodhi, Harpreet Singh said the truck, filled with pebbles, was on its way from Pathankot to Moga when the accident occurred.
Singh said as per the eyewitnesses, the truck driver lost control and ran over the people sleeping by the roadside.
The driver Harbans Singh of Moga district, who was said to be under the influence of liquor, was arrested. A case was registered against him under Section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Sultanpur Lodhi police station.
Bodies of the deceased were sent for post-mortem.