At least ten people were run over by a truck travelling through thick smog in Bathinda on Wednesday. The group was waiting along the road for a vehicle after the bus they were travelling in broke down, Senior Superintendent of Police Naveen Singla told Scroll.in.
The accident reportedly occurred on the city’s outskirts on the Bathinda-Chandigarh highway, The Tribune reported. The truck driver is believed to have been speeding, Singla said. Most of the victims were students, The Indian Express reported.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said that he was pained to hear of the deaths. Bathinda MLA and Minister Manpreet Singh Badal has been asked to monitor the rescue and relief operations, the chief minister added.
Singh announced a compensation package of Rs 1 lakh each for the families of dead and Rs 50,000 each for the injured, The Indian Express reported. The government will not pay for the injured victims’ medical treatment, said Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Diparva Lakra.
Smog affected visibility in Bathinda as air pollution levels increased drastically over the past few days in North India.
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