Two young Kanwariyas were killed in a tragic road accident during the annual Kanwar Yatra after a speeding truck allegedly rammed into them from behind on the Radaur-Kurukshetra Road near Dhaudag village in Yamunanagar district late on Thursday night.

The victims, identified as Sachin (21) and Ajay Kumar (21), both residents of Narwana in Jind district, were returning on foot from Haridwar carrying holy Ganga water for offering at their local Shiva temple when the accident occurred.

According to police, the truck struck the two pilgrims with great force before running over them and fleeing the scene. Both sustained fatal injuries and died on the spot.

On receiving information, police teams and an ambulance rushed to the location and shifted the victims to the Civil Hospital, where doctors declared them brought dead.

In his complaint to the police, fellow pilgrim Vikram Kumar said their group had started its Kanwar Yatra from Haridwar on August 3 and was walking towards Narwana. As they reached near Dhaudag village late Thursday night, a truck coming from the Yamunanagar side hit Sachin and Ajay from behind at high speed.

Vikram said he narrowly escaped by moving towards the roadside moments before the impact and immediately alerted the police after the truck driver fled from the spot.

Police have registered a case against the unidentified truck driver and launched an investigation. CCTV footage from nearby locations is being examined to identify the vehicle and trace the absconding driver.

The tragedy has left both families devastated. According to relatives, Sachin had been married only in April this year and was the only son of his parents, while Ajay, who belonged to a farming family, was the younger of two brothers. Both had undertaken the Kanwar pilgrimage for the first time.

Following the post-mortem examination on Friday morning, the bodies were handed over to the families for the last rites in Narwana.

Meanwhile, fellow pilgrims alleged that inadequate street lighting and insufficient traffic management on the Haryana stretch of the route may also have contributed to the accident. Police, however, said all aspects of the incident are being thoroughly investigated before drawing any conclusions.

POD/DESK