Phagwara, Nov 24: A massive pile-up on the Jalandhar-Ludhiana national highway claimed the life of a 20-year-old motorcyclist from Kerala early Monday, while two others were hospitalised with serious injuries, authorities said. The accident took place near Chaheru village of Phagwara and involved two SUVs, a truck ahead of them and a motorcycle arriving at high speed.
Investigating officer Kirpal Singh said the chain reaction began when two SUVs collided at about 12.30am, with one of them slamming into a truck travelling in front. “There was an explosion when the SUV hit the truck, and both SUVs caught fire moments later,” Singh said, adding that bystanders pulled the occupants out just in time.
During the rescue, a motorcycle being ridden towards Jalandhar struck one of the burning vehicles and burst into flames. The rider, identified as Asmir Rauf, a Kerala native studying at Lovely Professional University, died instantly. His friend riding pillion was critically injured and taken first to the Civil Hospital in Jalandhar before being referred elsewhere for specialised care.
Police said both young men were studying airport management at the varsity. An SUV passenger also received burn wounds and remained admitted in hospital on Monday afternoon.
Traffic remained disrupted on the busy highway as firefighters doused the blaze and police collected forensic evidence. Singh said, “We are examining the sequence of events and will record statements of witnesses.”
