PATHANKOT: Two young men were killed and four others, including a minor girl, injured in a tragic road accident on the Pathankot–Jalandhar National Highway near Kontrapur village on Tuesday morning. According to police, a private sleeper bus travelling from Jalandhar to Pathankot allegedly struck a woman riding a scooter before crashing into two motorcycles. The impact was severe, killing two young men on the spot and leaving four others seriously injured.
The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. The accident triggered outrage among local residents, who alleged that the bus driver was driving rashly and negligently. As tempers flared, a section of the crowd set the bus on fire. The vehicle was completely gutted before firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control.
Police and civil administration officials reached the spot and restored order. SP Gur Iqbal Singh confirmed that two people had died in the accident while four others sustained injuries. He said the bus was torched by angry locals after the mishap.
The bus driver reportedly fled the scene immediately after the accident. Police have launched a search operation to trace and arrest him.
The SP said a case has been registered and an investigation is underway. Appropriate legal action will be taken based on the findings of the probe. Traffic on the National Highway remained disrupted for some time following the accident. Fire brigade personnel prevented the flames from spreading to nearby vehicles and surrounding areas after a sustained firefighting operation.