BAHADURGARH: At least three devotees were killed and fifteen others injured after a pickup vehicle carrying pilgrims collided with a canter truck on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway near Mandothi village in the early hours of Tuesday.The accident occurred at around 5 am when the pilgrims were returning to their homes in Chandausi, Uttar Pradesh, after paying obeisance at Gogamedi Dham in Rajasthan. Several women and children were among those travelling in the pickup.According to the injured, the pickup was moving at a slow speed when a canter allegedly rammed into it from behind. The impact was severe, leaving several passengers injured and triggering panic and chaos at the spot. The canter driver reportedly fled the scene with the vehicle after the collision.Soon after the accident, police and passers-by launched a rescue operation and pulled the injured passengers out of the damaged pickup. They were rushed to Civil Hospital in Bahadurgarh for treatment.Two of the injured passengers succumbed to their injuries during treatment. Three others, who were stated to be in critical condition, were referred to PGI Rohtak after receiving initial treatment. Several other injured passengers are undergoing treatment at the Bahadurgarh hospital, with some having suffered relatively minor injuries.Asoda police station SHO Sub-Inspector Jai Bhagwan said the accident took place at around 5 am and that the canter driver fled the spot after the collision.“The search operation to trace the driver is underway. CCTV footage from the area is being examined, and the accused driver will be arrested at the earliest once his whereabouts are established,” the SHO said.Police teams are scanning CCTV footage and gathering information to establish the sequence of events and trace the vehicle and its driver.The bodies of the two deceased were shifted to the mortuary at Bahadurgarh Civil Hospital. Police said the bodies would be handed over to the families after the post-mortem examination was completed.Police have begun recording statements from the injured and are investigating the accident from all possible angles. Further details are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.
