Devotional Journey Turns Fatal: Bus Rams Pickup, 4 Devotees Killed, 7 Injured

Kaithal (The Uttam Hindu): A tragic accident occurred on the Hisar–Chandigarh National Highway near village Kyodak on Monday morning around 7 am, when a Haryana Roadways bus from Hisar depot collided with a pickup vehicle carrying devotees.

The collision claimed the lives of four elderly pilgrims on the spot and left seven others critically injured. The injured were immediately rushed by ambulance to a private Shah Hospital in Kaithal, while the bodies of the deceased were shifted to the district civil hospital.

The deceased have been identified as Narendra Kumar (62), Hakikat Singh (57), Kaku Singh (67), and Makkhan Singh (60), all residents of village Rameala in Faridkot, Punjab. According to police, the group had arrived in Kaithal on Sunday evening and stayed overnight at Manji Sahib Gurdwara (Committee Chowk). Early Monday morning, around 6:15 am, they left in the pickup vehicle to attend a religious program at Pihowa Gurdwara.

As they reached near Kyodak village, the Haryana Roadways bus, allegedly driven at high speed and in a rash manner, rammed into their vehicle. The impact was so severe that the pickup overturned into a roadside ditch. Police from Sadar station and Kyodak outpost reached the spot soon after and began investigations.