Batala: Four men were killed after their car crashed into the rear of an unidentified heavy vehicle near a petrol pump on the national highway near Batala in Punjab's Gurdaspur district on Tuesday morning. The four were reportedly returning from Amritsar to Pathankot.
Accident Details
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr. Mehtab Singh stated that the accident occurred near Naushera Majha Singh village around 4 a.m. Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud explosion-like sound at the time of the crash. Rescue teams and police from the Naushera Majha Singh police outpost rushed to the site, but the severity of the wreckage hampered recovery efforts.
Authorities used metal cutters, iron rods, and even a tractor to tear apart the mangled vehicle and retrieve the bodies. The operation took nearly one-and-a-half hours. Initial reports indicate all four victims were from Pathankot — two from Gharoli and two from Teacher Colony.
Victim Identification
Police identified one of the victims as Vikram alias Vicky, aged 31, a resident of Teacher Colony and an employee at a mattress showroom in Pathankot. Vikram is survived by his wife and two children. Police are working to identify the remaining victims. According to relatives, Vikram spoke to his wife late Monday night, informing her he would return late in the morning and asking her to iron his clothes. He had gone to Amritsar with friends two days earlier but did not provide details about his companions.
Investigation Underway
Preliminary findings suggest that the car was traveling at a speed of around 80 to 100 km/h. However, the exact circumstances surrounding the collision remain unclear, with police trying to identify the heavy vehicle, which did not remain at the site. Authorities are investigating the incident further.
