Fatehabad: In a horrific road accident, nine persons were killed while three others are missing after a Cruiser carrying over a dozen passengers plunged into the Bhakra Canal amid poor visibility due to dense fog here in Haryana, police said on Saturday.
According to a police official, the incident occurred at Sardarewala village in Ratia on Friday night when dense fog engulfed the area. The vehicle was carrying over a dozen passengers from Mehmara village, returning from a wedding in Punjab’s Fazilka district. “As they approached the canal bridge near Sardarewala, the driver lost control due to low visibility, and the vehicle veered off the road into the fast-flowing water,” the official said.
In the initial rescue operation, the body of a 55-year-old man, Balbir Singh, was retrieved and a 10-year-old boy was rescued. As the rescue operation goes on, the rescuers have fished out eight more bodies at Kalanwali village of Sirsa taking the death toll to 9, including two women and as many children, as per police. Two people have survived while three others are still missing in the accident.
It is learnt that the driver of the vehicle jumped out moments before the vehicle plunged into the canal, saving himself. The body of an elderly man was immediately recovered and a 10-year-old boy was rescued during overnight search operations.
Rescue teams, including National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and professional divers, worked through the night to locate the missing passengers, but strong currents made the search challenging, police said.
Ratia SDM Jagdish Chandra and Ratia DSP Sanjay Bishnoi said that the administration has expedited the search operation to retrieve the remaining three missing persons. The tragic incident has sent shockwaves through Mehmara village. Locals, especially relatives of the missing persons rushed to the scene, anxiously waiting for updates.
Meanwhile, authorities have warned drivers to exercise maximum caution as dense fog continues to affect visibility across several districts of Haryana.
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