New Delhi: Three women were killed and many others sustained serious injuries in separate road accidents in Punjab on Saturday. Four buses, transporting members of farmer unions to Kisan Mahapanchayats in Khanauri, Punjab and Tohana, Haryana, met with accidents due to poor visibility caused by dense fog.
According to farmer union leaders, the mishaps occurred at various locations between 9 am and 10 am amid near-zero visibility on the roads. The deceased have been identified as Sarabjit Kaur Kothaguru, Jasbir Kaur and Balbir Kaur. One of the accidents involved a bus carrying 52 members of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Ugrahan from Kothaguru village in Bathinda.
Multiple bus accidents
The vehicle overturned at the Handiyaya bypass in Barnala district. This resulted in the accident and deaths. The group was en route to Tohana to attend a Kisan Mahapanchayat organised by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM). The other three buses, which were travelling from different locations, also encountered accidents under similar foggy conditions, injuring multiple passengers. The injured were rushed to Civil Hospital, Barnala, for medical treatment.
Bathinda bus accident
In Bathinda, a bus carrying farmers collided with a road divider near the bypass due to heavy fog, injuring about six people. The farmers, belonging to the Bharatiya Kisan Union Ugrahan, were on their way to attend the Maha Panchayat in Tohana, Haryana. According to reports, these farmers were traveling from the village of Kothe Guru to Tohana. It was also reported that the bus involved in the accident had a gas cylinder on board for cooking purposes. Fortunately, the cylinder remained undamaged, preventing what could have been a major mishap.
