A tragic accident occurred on the Hoshiarpur-Dharamshala National Highway early Saturday morning, claiming the lives of three people and injuring two others. The incident took place near Manugwal when an ambulance carrying a patient plunged into a deep gorge.
The ambulance was en route from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, transporting a patient, when the accident occurred at approximately 3:30 AM. According to police reports, the road berm near Manugwal had caved in due to continuous heavy rains. This caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle, resulting in the ambulance plunging into the gorge.
The deceased have been identified as Sanjiv Soni (50), Onkar Chand (70), and Rakesh Kapoor (45), all residents of Himachal Pradesh. Their bodies have been transported to the Government Hospital in Hoshiarpur for postmortem examination.
Renu Kapoor (49) and the ambulance driver, whose identity is yet to be officially confirmed, sustained injuries in the accident. They were initially admitted to the Government Hospital in Hoshiarpur before being transferred to a private hospital for further treatment. One report indicates that one of the injured was referred to a hospital in Jalandhar.
Authorities have initiated an investigation into the accident. ASI Kamaljit Singh stated that barricading was in place due to the road collapse, but it is still unclear whether the driver fell asleep or if another factor caused the loss of control. Jasvir Singh, the investigating officer, mentioned that they received information about the incident between 3:30 AM and 4:00 AM.
The incident has sparked grief in the region. Preliminary information suggests the patient was being transferred from Tanda Medical College to DMC Hospital in Ludhiana for treatment after suffering a heart attack.
