Kaithal — Three young men were killed and three others injured in the early hours of Saturday when the car they were travelling in rammed into a canal bridge (culvert) on the road between Pai and Sismor villages in Haryana's Kaithal district, police said.

The deceased have been identified as Navdeep (19), Pradeep (27) and Ajay (22), all residents of Karora village who were related to one another. All three died on the spot, and the impact left the car badly mangled.

Six youths were in the hatchback at the time of the crash, which took place at around 2 am. Family members said the group had finished harvesting paddy in their fields and was travelling towards Kaithal, to the home of the driver, Narendra.

Eyewitness accounts cited in reports suggest that a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction may have blinded Narendra with its headlights, causing him to lose control of the car before it struck the culvert. Police said the exact cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Among the injured, Sahil sustained a fractured thigh and was admitted to a private hospital, while Arjun suffered a spinal fracture and is being treated at the civil hospital. Narendra, who was driving, escaped with minor cuts to his face and arm.

Police have registered a case and are investigating the circumstances of the crash, including the possible role of the other vehicle. The deaths have cast a pall of gloom over Karora village, where the three youths were well known.

Sources: The CSR Journal; Utkal Post; Feedzop news report.