One dead, 12 injured as bus, milk tanker collide

Tribune News Service

Mohali, February 8

One person died while 12 others, including a bus driver and conductor, were injured in a fatal accident after a state-run bus collided with a milk tanker late last night in Phase VI here.

According to the police, the incident took place around 1.15 am on Wednesday night when a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) HIMSUTA bus ferrying 20 passengers, going from Dharamsala to Haridwar, was hit by a milk tanker near Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Phase VI here.

The deceased has been identified as Vijay Kumar, a 32-year-old native of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh (HP).

The injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital in Phase VI, from where four persons, who were critically injured, were referred to the PGI, Chandigarh.

The police said the condition of bus driver, Harvinder Singh, and conductor was critical. The bus conductor broke his leg in the accident. The driver of the milk tanker fled the spot after the accident and the vehicle had been impounded.

Baljinder Mand, chauki in-charge, Phase VI police station, said the victim, Vijay Kumar, was declared brought dead. He said, “The victim, Vijay Kumar, was declared brought dead. The body of the deceased was handed over to his parents after conducting post-mortem examination on Thursday.”

The police said the victim worked at a food processing unit in Metro Hospital and Heart Institute in Haridwar and was travelling with his wife. A police official said: “He was seated on the window side and sustained serious injuries on the head.”

Manjit Singh, Senior Medical Officer (SMO), Civil Hospital, Phase VI, said: “A total of 13 patients were brought for treatment with multiple injuries and four of them were referred to the PGI. Others with minor injuries were discharged after administering first aid.”

A case has been registered against the unidentified driver of the tanker under Sections 304-A (causing death by negligence), 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs 50) of the IPC at the Phase I police station.