Fazilka: Five people, including three children, were killed on Sunday evening when a Cruiser carrying a family back from a wedding collided head-on with a pickup on the Ferozepur–Fazilka highway near Theh Kalandar, in Punjab's Fazilka district.

Source: Dainik Jagran

The family, residents of Tiwana Kalan village in the Jalalabad area, had travelled to Karni Khera village in Fazilka for a relative's wedding and was on its way home when the crash happened near the Theh Kalandar toll plaza, TV9 Punjabi reported.

Source: TV9 Punjabi

Dr Eric, Senior Medical Officer at the government hospital in Fazilka, said 16 people were brought to the hospital after the crash, of whom five were declared dead, including three children. Early reports differ on the total number of injured — between nine and thirteen — and the figure may change as officials confirm the details.

Critically injured referred onward

The injured were admitted to Fazilka Civil Hospital. The most seriously hurt were referred onward for advanced treatment — YashBharat reported four critical patients were sent to the medical college in Faridkot — while a Sadak Surakhya Force (SSF) team reached the spot and helped move the injured to hospital.

Fazilka MLA Narinder Pal Singh Sawna visited the Civil Hospital to enquire after the injured and meet the bereaved families, TV9 Punjabi and other reports said.

Fazilka SP Satinder Kumar assured a fair investigation into the crash, YashBharat reported. The cause of the collision had not been established by Sunday night, and police said further details were awaited.

Second fatal Punjab highway crash in two days

The Fazilka crash came a day after five people were killed when two Mukh Mantri Teerth Yatra buses collided head-on near Naushehra Pannuan in Tarn Taran district — a tragedy that has since drawn an NHRC summons to the Punjab Chief Secretary over bus-safety warnings.

Read the earlier Tarn Taran crash coverage: Tarn Taran Teerth Yatra bus collision