At least two dead, several feared injured after two buses carrying pilgrims collide in Punjab’s Tarn Taran

At least four people, including one bus driver and two pilgrims, were killed on the spot, while 30 pilgrims were injured in a horrific head-on collision between two buses operating under the Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra scheme on National Highway 54, near Naushehra Pannuan village in Punjab's Tarn Taran district, on Saturday. Of the 30 injured pilgrims, 18 are reported to be in critical condition.Four people have died in a road accident in Punjab's Tarn Taran. (HT Photo)A woman riding on the motorcycle was also reportedly killed. The condition of a young boy travelling with her remains unconfirmed.According to preliminary reports, one of the buses was returning to Faridkot district, carrying pilgrims from Lahiridas and Baghiari villages, after completing a pilgrimage. Eyewitnesses said the tragedy unfolded when a motorcycle carrying a woman and a young boy attempted to cross the highway through a cut near Naushehra Pannuan. To avoid hitting the motorcyclists, the driver of the oncoming Faridkot-bound bus swerved sharply and crossed into the opposite lane.The bus collided head-on with another Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra bus, which was travelling from Bheediwal village in the Lambi Assembly constituency towards Amritsar. The impact was so severe that both vehicles were badly mangled.Local residents and shopkeepers rushed to the spot to rescue trapped passengers and alert the authorities. Simar Kaur, a local resident who assisted in the rescue operations, said that several passengers had lost their lives at the scene.Several prominent political and local leaders rushed to the accident site, including Aam Aadmi Party chairmen Harman Singh Maini, Jaskaran Singh Gill and Gurdial Singh Marhana, along with senior Congress leaders and former MLA Harminder Singh Gill and Angad Singh Sohel.SSP Surendra Lamba, along with other senior officials, also rushed to the spot. However, no official statement on the accident had been issued by the authorities at the time of writing.