Fatehgarh Sahib, August 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Three Kanwariyas were killed and another critically injured after an unidentified truck allegedly hit a group of pilgrims near Sirhind in Punjab’s Fatehgarh Sahib district early Sunday, turning their return journey from Haridwar into a tragedy.
The accident occurred on the main highway near Sirhind between 2.15 a.m. and 2.30 a.m., according to Mukesh Kumar, a sevadar with Shiv Seva Kanwar Sangh.
“There were around 100 Kanwariyas. An unidentified truck driver hit them. Six of them were hit, of whom three died, one was seriously injured, while two others are fine,” Kumar told IANS.
The pilgrims were returning from Haridwar after collecting holy Ganga water for offering to Lord Shiva.
The bodies of the deceased were undergoing post-mortem examination. After the procedure, social organisations are expected to arrange ambulances to transport the bodies to their respective hometowns.
The Punjab incident comes amid several recent accidents involving Kanwariyas travelling during the ongoing pilgrimage season.
In Bihar’s Begusarai district on Thursday, a speeding truck rammed into a CNG tempo carrying devotees after the vehicle broke down. The tempo driver later died during treatment, while several Kanwariyas were injured.
The accident occurred in the Sahebpur Kamal police station area between Bakhda Dhala and Sanha Dhala. Police said the tempo was carrying devotees travelling from Barauni to Sultanganj to collect Ganga water for offering to Lord Shiva.
After the tempo developed a mechanical problem, the driver and passengers reportedly got down and began pushing it along the roadside. A speeding truck approaching from behind then allegedly struck the tempo and the devotees, triggering panic at the spot.
Last month, 18 Kanwariyas were killed in a bus-truck collision in Jharkhand’s Deoghar during the Shravani Mela. The bus, carrying around 35 devotees travelling to Deoghar to offer holy water at Baba Baidyanath Dham, was hit head-on by a truck carrying gas cylinders.
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