Eight people including seven women were killed on Monday morning as their car collided with a truck in Haryana’s Jhajjar district, leading to a massive pileup involving several vehicles.
Ten persons were injured including three women and seven men.
The accident took place on Badli bypass road in Jhajjar, resulting in a pileup as multiple vehicles rammed into each other due to reduced visibility caused by dense fog in the area.
Haryana Government has announced to give financial assistance of Rs two lakh to the family members of deceased, Rs one lakh to severely injured and Rs 50,000 each to injured persons. All the deceased persons belonged to village Kirdod of Jhajjar.
The Chief Minister Manohar Lal has expressed his sympathies with the bereaved family members and prayed for the peace of the departed souls. He also wished speedy recovery to the injured.
According to the eyewitnesses on the accident site, the images from the spot showed wrecked cars being removed from the road and people being pulled out of mangled vehicles. There was a two-km traffic jam on the highway because of the accident.
The eight people who died were travelling in SUV from Kirdod village to outer Delhi's Najafgarh for a condolence visit when it collided with a truck.
“Eight people, including seven women, travelling in the SUV were killed and 10 others injured, said Inspector Seema, station house officer (city), Jhajjar.
The deceased, aged between 30-60, belonged to Kirodh village of the district. They were among the 10 people who were in the vehicle and were heading for Delhi's Najafgarh area, the inspector said.
As the cruiser jeep was involved in an accident with a truck, other vehicles which were close behind also rammed each other. The visibility was poor due to dense fog, the police official added. The district deputy commissioner has constituted a seven-member committee, headed by the sub-divisional magistrate, to find out the exact reason behind the accident.
The committee will submit a detailed investigation report within two days, along with solution/suggestion for rectification of the accident-prone spot,” an order issued by the Deputy Commissioner said.
Meanwhile, Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister OP Dhankar visited the Civil Hospital after getting information of the road accident.
The Minister directed the officers in the hospital to make proper treatment arrangements of the injured persons. He also visited PGIMS, Rohtak and inquired about the well being of severely injured persons.
Dhankar wished speedy recovery of the injured persons.
Notably, several parts of Haryana and Punjab are engulfed in thick fog in the morning. The visibility is recorded as low as 100 metres in many areas. According to the Meteorological Department, the dense fog is likely to continue in various parts of the region for next few days.
In view of foggy conditions, Haryana Government has appealed to the people to drive their vehicle carefully and in a controlled speed.
While passing through national highways, be watchful about traffic signals, radium boards, iron bars and cat eye, Public Works (Building and Roads) Minister, Rao Narbir Singh said.