Tragic Night on Jalandhar-Phagwara Highway Claims Young Life
A devastating multi-vehicle collision on the Jalandhar-Phagwara national highway turned fatal on Sunday night, claiming the life of a 20-year-old Kerala student and leaving three others with serious injuries. The horrific incident involved two cars bursting into flames and partially scorching a truck-trailer in the chain-reaction accident.
Sequence of Events That Led to Tragedy
The catastrophe unfolded around 11:15 pm near Maheru village when initial chaos began with a car striking a highway divider, according to Assistant Sub-Inspector Baljit Ram of the Sadak Surakhiya Force. This initial impact created dangerous congestion on the busy route.
"Within minutes, two cars collided separately at a distance, and a truck-trailer was also involved in the pile-up," stated ASI Ram, detailing the rapid escalation of events. The situation worsened when a motorcycle passing through the area hit one of the vehicles and overturned, adding to the carnage.
Victims and Rescue Efforts
Both motorcycle occupants were immediately rushed to Phagwara Civil Hospital, where Aseem Rauf, 20, a student of Lovely Professional University, succumbed to his injuries. His friend, Vinayak K Suresh, also hailing from Kerala, sustained a fractured leg and is receiving treatment.
In a separate but equally terrifying development, two other persons traveling in one of the collided cars suffered injuries but were dramatically rescued from the burning wreckage by alert passersby who acted quickly despite the dangerous conditions.
According to Phagwara Sadar police station SHO Kirpal Singh, the fire outbreak occurred when one car equipped with a gas kit on its rear side was struck from behind by another vehicle, which then collided with the trailer. The violent impact caused both cars to ignite almost immediately, with flames rapidly spreading to the tyres of the nearby trailer.
The Jalandhar-Phagwara national highway, a crucial transportation artery in Punjab, has witnessed numerous accidents over the years, with this latest incident raising fresh concerns about road safety measures and nighttime driving conditions in the region.
