Five killed, four injured as car ploughs into a group of migrant labourers in Himachal Pradesh

Representative Image. Pic/iStock

A car ploughed into a group of migrant labourers in Himachal Pradesh's Solan district on Tuesday, killing five and injuring four, police said.

The accident occurred near Dharampur on the Shimla-Kalka national highway around 9:20 am when they were walking to work, according to police.

The Innova car, which was going towards Parwanoo, was speeding and hit the group of labourers on the highway when its driver Rajesh was overtaking another vehicle, Solan Superintendent of Police (SP) Virender Sharma said.

He added that Rajesh had a driver's licence only for two-wheelers. The 23-year-old, a resident of Garkhal near Kasauli in Solan district, has been arrested and further investigation is underway, the SP said.

Guddu Yadav, Raja Verma, Nishad, Moti Lal Yadav and Sunny were killed on the spot, while three of the four injured Babudeen, Mahesh and Arjun have been hospitalised at PGI Chandigarh, police said.

Another person, also by the name of Mahesh, was released after first aid, they said, adding that the labourers hail from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

"The inexperienced driver pressed the accelerator in place of the brake which proved fatal," a person who was in the car with Rajesh told police. In a video clip, police can be seen removing the bodies from both sides of the road.

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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed grief over loss of lives and directed the administration to provide immediate relief to the kin of the deceased and free medical aid to the injured, a statement issued here said.

Road accidents in Himachal Pradesh have claimed 6,530 lives and left 26,600 people injured in the past six years in the state, with pedestrians being hit in 22 per cent cases, officials said.

In another accident, three persons were killed after their car fell into a gorge near Khari on the Shivpur-Bhavai road Sirmaur district late on Monday night. The deceased were identified as Kuldeep, Pankaj and Netra Singh, all hailing from that district, police said.

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