CM Bhagwant Mann: Eight workers were killed and 12 others injured after a car ran them over on the Lehragaga-Jakhal road in Sangrur on Sunday, October 18. Some of them were sitting along the road and drinking water when the speeding car came from the direction of Jakhal and hit them, police said. Witnesses said the car first hit a motorcycle and then veered into the group. Police said six of the dead were women. Five workers died on the spot, and three more died later during treatment.
CM Announces Compensation
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said in a post on X that his government stands with the affected families in this difficult hour. The government will give ₹2 lakh to the family of each person killed and treat the injured free of cost. He also said the accused driver would be arrested soon. The village lies in Mann’s home district.
Who Were the Victims?
The victims were part of a group of more than 20 workers employed under a rural job scheme. The scheme was earlier called MGNREGA and is now the Viksit Bharat Guarantee Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin scheme. A village panchayat member said a motorcyclist, apparently there to pick up his mother, was also among the dead. Mann said the victims were among the poorest workers, who toil hard to earn a living.
Leaders Express Grief
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed grief over the deaths and prayed for the injured to recover quickly. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Cabinet Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal also condoled the deaths. Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa expressed deep distress.
Questions Over Emergency Response
One person alleged it was the administration’s fault that ambulances failed to reach on time. The authorities have not yet responded to this claim.
