Nine killed in Punjab pickup‑truck head‑on crash

At least nine people were killed and several others injured in a head-on collision between a pickup vehicle and a truck on the Ferozepur-Fazilka road in Punjab early Saturday morning. The victims were members of an extended family from Jalalabad traveling to Beas in Amritsar district to perform the immersion of a relative’s ashes.

The accident occurred near Janga Wala Mour around 5:40 a.m., according to officials. The impact severely damaged the front of the pickup vehicle, trapping occupants inside. Four people died at the scene, while others succumbed to injuries en route to or at the hospital. Senior Superintendent of Police Bhupinder Singh confirmed that nine fatalities have been recorded so far.

The injured were transported to the Civil Hospital in Ferozepur. Senior Medical Officer Dr. Nikhil Gupta stated that several critically injured patients were referred to Guru Gobind Singh Government Medical College in Faridkot for advanced care, with at least three reported to be in intensive care.

Authorities said the pickup was carrying a large group, with initial reports estimating between 25 and 32 passengers, all from the same family. They were returning from post-cremation...