5 die, 2 missing after car falls into Bhakra canal in Punjab

Jaipur, April 19

Five people died while two were missing after the car in which they were travelling was hit by a bus from behind on Monday at Bhakra canal bridge in Punjab's Jalandhar and the car subsequently fell into the canal.

The deceased victims included a doctor, his wife, their child and two relatives while two girls aged 2 and 4 are missing. The family was from Rajasthan' Sikar district. Search for the missing girls is being done in the canal.

The doctor had gone on a tour to Himachal Pradesh with the family on April 13 and was scheduled to come back by Monday night.

Sikar SP Kunwar Rashtradeep said that information about the accident has been received from Punjab Police.

Orthopedic specialist Dr. Satish Kumar Poonia working in Ringus CHC, his wife Sarita Poonia, son Raja alias Daksh (14), Poonia's brother-in-law Rajesh Devanda (35) and Rajesh's wife Reena died in accident.

The search is on for the doctor's two-year-old daughter Rajvi and her brother-in-law's elder brother's 4-year-old daughter Gudiya in the canal.

Poonia's wife Sarita was a teacher in a government school. The couple's son Daksh was studying in class 8. The doctor's brother-in-law Devanda was coaching teacher and his wife Reena was also a teacher at a government school. The doctor and his brother-in-law's family had gone to Shimla and Manali.

The police pulled the car out with the help of a crane. The deceased were identified from papers found in a purse. On the information of the accident, Om Prakash, the elder brother of the deceased doctor living in Delhi, left for Punjab. Om Prakash is ASI in Delhi Police.