9 killed, several injured in truck-jeep collision in Punjab

FEROZEPORE: At least nine people were killed and several others were injured after a truck collided with a jeep in Punjab's Ferozepur district, officials said on Saturday.A total of 32 people, including women and children, were travelling from Jalalabad to Beas in Amritsar to immerse the ashes of a deceased relative in the Beas River when their vehicle was involved in a tragic accident.Several occupants died on the spot, while those who sustained serious injuries were rushed to the Civil Hospital in Ferozepur for treatment.Dr Nikhil Gupta, senior medical officer, said patients in critical condition had been referred to Guru Gobind Singh Government Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot for advanced medical care.Ferozepur senior superintendent of police Bhupinder Singh, along with other senior officials, visited the accident site. He said police had launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash.Among the survivors was 12-year-old Anshpreet Singh, who sustained minor injuries. He said he was travelling with family members to immerse the ashes of his grandmother, Pooro Bai (62), when the accident occurred."We started our journey early at 3.30 am. Everything was normal, and we even stopped for fuel. As soon as we reached near Janga Wala Mour, the accident happened", Anshpreet said.The deceased have been identified as Karnail Singh, Lakshmi Rani, Sukhwinder Kaur, Bhago Rani, Maya Bai, Surinder Singh, Raj Kumar, Darshan Singh and Vidya Rani.(With agency inputs)