Five students from India, all in their 20s, were killed in a deadly accident on a highway in the province of Ontario on Saturday.
All five were travelling in a passenger van on Highway 401 when there was a collision with a tractor-trailer at approximately 3.45am local time. Five of students were killed in the tragic incident while two others were transported to hospital with serious injuries, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
OPP identified the five as Harpreet Singh, 24, Jaspinder Singh, 21, Karanpal Singh, 22, Mohit Chouhan, 23, and Pawan Kumar, 23, according to the agency Canadian Press. They were studying in the Montreal and Greater Toronto Area. They were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Harpreet Singh is believed to have been resident in Montreal, according to the outlet CBC News.
“On Saturday March 12, 2022, at approximately 3:45am officers from the Quinte West Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a motor vehicle collision on Highway 401 westbound, between Aikens Road and St Hilaire Road,” the release stated. It added, “The investigation into this collision is continuing at this time and updates will be provided as they become available. No charges have been laid.”
There was no update on the condition of the other two who were hospitalised and undergoing treatment. The crash occurred on a major highway in southern Ontario. The highway was closed for a period as police investigated the collision and emergency services arrived at the spot but was later cleared and traffic returned to normal.
{{/usCountry}}There was no update on the condition of the other two who were hospitalised and undergoing treatment. The crash occurred on a major highway in southern Ontario. The highway was closed for a period as police investigated the collision and emergency services arrived at the spot but was later cleared and traffic returned to normal.
{{/usCountry}}The driver, also the only occupant of the tractor-trailer, was uninjured. India’s high commissioner to Ottawa Ajay Bisaria described the tragedy as “heart-breaking” in a tweet and added that officials of the Indian consulate in Toronto were “in touch with friends of the victims for assistance”.