A 17 pilgrims killed in Punjab as truck rolls down a gorge

At least 17 people were killed and over 15 injured when a truck rolled down a gorge in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district bordering Himachal Pradesh, police said Thursday.

The accident occurred early Thursday, when the truck, carrying pilgrims from a shrine in Himachal Pradesh back to Punjab, rolled down near Manguwal barrier, 20 km from Hoshiarpur.

Police said 14 people died on the spot.

Those injured in the accident were rushed to hospitals in Hoshiarpur.

Police said that the truck driver failed to negotiate a sharp curve on the hilly road near the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border, and the truck went off the road.

The victims, who were from the Bholath area of Kapurthala district, were asleep when the accident occurred.