Monday, November 7, 2011

Seven Gujarati tourists killed in Jalalabad road mishap

JALALABAD: Seven pilgrims from Gujarat, including women and children, were killed and more than 30 injured, some of them seriously, when their private tourist bus skidded off the road and rolled down into a drain on way to Amritsar, near Jalalabad town in Fazilka district of Punjab, early morning on Sunday.

According to information, the passengers were on a pilgrimage tour to Amritsar and Vaishno Devi shrine from Ahmedabad in Gujarat when it plunged into the drain as the driver apparently dozed off while at the wheel.

Four tourists, who died on the spot, could not be identified while three others, who breathed their last on way to the local civil hospital, have been identified as Raj Kumar, Rasilaben and Prabhu Lal. As the news of the accident spread, local NGOs, police and medical staff reached the spot and started rescue work.

The injured were taken to the local civil hospital and those in critical condition were referred to medical college in Faridkot.

The injured pilgrims, who have been admitted in the local civil hospital, are Kamalbhai, Mogjibhai, Chawla Bhogilal, Karsanbhai, Kantaben, Saraswatiben, Jayaben, Rishu, Bamilaben, Himmatbhai, Pamilaben, Premhi Bhai, Niraliben and Moneyben. The bodies of the victims have been sent to the civil hospital in Fazilka for post mortem examination.

Charandev Singh Mann, ADC, Fazilka, said that the district administration has made arrangements for the return journey of the remaining passengers.

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