Eight dead, 12 injured as car runs over workers in Punjab’s Sangrur: What led to the accident? Details

A heavy vehicle ran over a group of construction workers in the rural district of Sangrur in Punjab, killing eight and injuring 12 more, local authorities confirmed on Monday. The incident occurred early in the morning on a narrow two‑lane road near the village of Giani, when a lorry travelling at speed struck a cluster of men who had gathered on the roadside.The victims were employed under the state‑run “Viksit Bharat Guarantee Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin” (VB‑G RAM G), a scheme aimed at creating jobs for rural residents. According to the Sangrur district administration, the workers were part of a team of more than twenty who had been carrying out routine maintenance work on a public road..

When the lorry, a 12‑tonne tractor‑tanker combination, entered the village at a speed that officials say exceeded the limit, the driver lost control and struck the workers who had been sitting on the verge, according to the police report.Police investigators have not yet released a full statement on how the vehicle was able to strike the workers. The preliminary inquiry suggests that the lorry may have deviated from the lane, possibly due to the uneven surface of the road and the presence of a sharp bend within a few hundred metres of the incident site. The driver, a 42‑year‑old resident of the neighbouring town of Bhikhi, was taken to the Sangrur district hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and released the same day..

His licence, however, has been suspended pending further investigation.The Sangrur police have called for an inquiry into the safety protocols followed by the VB‑G RAM G scheme in the days leading up to the accident. “We are looking into whether the workers were adequately warned about road traffic and whether the route they were working on was sufficiently safe for both the workers and the vehicles,” said Inspector Sanjay Mehta in a statement. He added that the department would review the traffic flow and signage on the road to prevent similar incidents.Local residents describe a scene of chaos and grief..

“We had been working on the road, fixing potholes, and then the lorry came out of nowhere,” said Sukhbir Singh, a 58‑year‑old farmer who lives nearby. “We were all sitting on the roadside, waiting for the next piece of equipment. It was a tragedy.” The injuries range from fractures to internal injuries, with several victims already in critical condition in hospitals in Sangrur and Patiala.The Sangrur District Collector, Ritu Sharma, released a statement expressing condolences to the families of the deceased..

“We are working with the transport department and the labour welfare office to ensure that such accidents do not recur. We will also be looking into the enforcement of safety guidelines for road work conducted under state schemes,” she said. The collector also called for a temporary closure of the road for the next 48 hours to allow for a thorough safety assessment.The VB‑G RAM G scheme was launched by the Punjab government in 2019 with the goal of creating jobs for rural youths through public works projects such as road repairs, drainage maintenance, and infrastructure development..

Critics, however, have long raised concerns about the safety of workers on these projects. In 2021, an earlier incident in the Jalandhar district saw a worker die after a lorry collided with a construction crew on a highway, prompting a review of the scheme’s safety protocols.Transport officials have stated that the road in question has a history of accidents due to its narrow width and lack of proper signage. The Punjab State Transport Department’s latest road safety audit identified the Giani–Bhikhi stretch as one of the most hazardous, citing the frequent presence of agricultural machinery and slow‑moving traffic..

The department has announced that it will install additional guardrails and improve lighting as part of a wider road safety initiative.In the meantime, families of the victims have called for accountability. “We want to know why this happened,” said the sister of one of the deceased. “The workers were doing a job assigned by the government..

We need to know who is responsible.” The local media have covered the story extensively, with several investigative reporters asking the transport department and the VB‑G RAM G officials to provide detailed information on the training and safety measures given to workers on such projects.The incident has sparked a broader debate about the intersection of rural employment schemes and road safety in Punjab. Civil society groups have urged the government to adopt stricter safety standards, including mandatory use of personal protective equipment for workers and the prohibition of any pedestrian activity on busy roads during maintenance work. The Punjab Labour Welfare Department has pledged to conduct a statewide audit of all projects under VB‑G RAM G within the next month.While investigations continue, the Sangrur police have urged commuters to be cautious on the road and to observe speed limits, especially during early morning and evening hours when workers are likely to be on site..

The district administration has also set up a helpline for families seeking assistance or wishing to lodge complaints regarding the safety of public works projects. The tragedy in Sangrur serves as a stark reminder of the need for stringent safety protocols and better coordination between transport authorities and rural employment schemes to protect those who work to maintain the infrastructure that underpins everyday life..