Punjab: Bus-truck collision in Patiala claims conductor's life

Patiala, Oct 31 (PTI) A conductor died and ten passengers got injured after a bus collided head-on with a cement-laden truck near Hardaspur village on Sirhind Road here on Friday, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Anmol Singh, a resident of Midwa village in Gurdaspur district, they said.

The police said the drivers of both the vehicles sustained serious injuries, besides the 10 passengers who received minor wounds. Twenty people were on board the bus when the accident happened.

Villagers rushed to the spot after hearing the loud crash, rescuing the trapped passengers and alerting the police which reached the site and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital.

Fagganmajra Assistant Sub-Inspector Jaswinder Singh said the Punjab Roadways bus was travelling from Patiala to Pathankot, while the truck was coming from Rajpura Thermal Plant carrying cement. The two vehicles collided head-on near Hardaspur village.

A case has been registered against the truck driver based on the statement of the bus driver.

One injured passenger, Amandeep Singh, said his brother was travelling from Patiala to Jalandhar when the accident occurred.

"The truck suddenly came in front of the bus, there was smoke, shattered glass, and people screaming," he recalled.

Another passenger added that the impact threw everyone off their seats, leaving the driver and conductor covered in blood. PTI COR SUN NB NB