Pawan Kumar/Baldev Singh Pannu

Pawan Kumar/Baldev Singh Pannu

Spokesman News Service: Four people, including a woman and a police assistant sub-inspector (ASI), were killed and 20 injured when two private buses collided head-on on the Amritsar-Rajasthan National Highway (NH-54) near Sarhali Kalan village, 25km from the Tarn Taran district headquarters, around 10am on Tuesday.

The deceased have been identified as Ram Kaur, 35, of Ferozepur, Jagdeep Singh, 28, of Bathinda, Rashpal Singh, 43, of Tarn Taran and Jagdeep Singh, 35, of Faridkot.

The injured were rushed to the Tarn Taran civil hospital from where some of the seriously injured were referred to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amirtsar. 

The police said a Libra bus (PB-13-AL-7087), which was on its way from Ferozepur to Amritsar, collided with a Raj bus (PB-02-CC-5275), on its way to Harike to Amritsar. Ram Kaur and Jagdeep died on the spot while the two others succumbed to their injuries at the Tarn Taran civil hospital.

Passersby and students of nearby Shiv Shankar Institute rushed to the spot and rescued the injured.

Deputy commissioner (DC) Pardeep Kumar Sabarwal also reached the hospital and enquired about the health of the injured. “According to the government guidelines, compensation will be given to the kin of the deceased and injured will be treated free of cost,” he said, adding that a probe will be ordered to ascertain the reason behind the accident.

A case under Sections 304-A (causing death by negligence), 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against drives of both the buses.

The bodies have been kept at the Tarn Taran mortuary for conducting post-mortem.