Batala road accident: 2 dead, 14 injured after tempo traveller carrying Vaishno Devi pilgrims rams into tipper

PTC Web Desk:  Two pilgrims were killed and 14 others sustained injuries after a tempo traveller carrying devotees returning from Mata Vaishno Devi shrine collided with a tipper truck on the Amritsar-Pathankot National Highway near Batala in Punjab's Gurdaspur district early Friday morning.

According to preliminary information, the accident occurred near Udhowal Adda when a tipper truck travelling ahead of the tempo traveller reportedly made a sudden turn towards a slip road. The speeding passenger vehicle failed to avoid the obstacle and rammed into the rear portion of the truck.

The impact of the collision was severe, leaving the tempo traveller extensively damaged. All occupants of the vehicle were residents of the Mansa region and were returning from a religious tour that included visits to Srinagar and the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra.

As per information, the mishap took place around 6 am. The group had departed from Katra at approximately 10 pm the previous night and was scheduled to halt in Amritsar before proceeding to Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district.

The tempo traveller was carrying 15 persons, including the driver, at the time of the crash.

Following the incident, teams from Punjab Police and the State Security Force (SSF) rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations. The injured passengers were rescued from the mangled vehicle and shifted to the Civil Hospital in Batala.

One passenger died at the accident site, while another succumbed to injuries while being taken to hospital. 

Doctors referred three critically injured passengers to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar. 

A case has been registered.