Eight MGNREGA workers were killed and several others injured after a speeding car ran them over near Alisher village on the Lehragaga-Jakhal road in Punjab’s Sangrur district on Sunday afternoon, according to a report by the Times of India. The crash triggered protests and a road blockade by residents who alleged that emergency medical assistance reached the site late.
The workers were reportedly sitting by the roadside and drinking water after working on a road project near the village when the car approached from the Jakhal side. According to information cited in the report, the vehicle first struck a person travelling on a motorcycle before hitting the workers gathered near the road.
Five workers died at the scene, while three others succumbed to their injuries during treatment, the report said. The injured were taken to a local hospital, and those in critical condition were referred to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. The report said 23 workers were present at the location when the incident occurred.
All eight deceased workers were identified as residents of Alisher village. They were named as Karamjit Kaur, Jeevan Singh, Nikki, Sarabjit Kaur, Ranjit Begum, Karamjit, Rani Kaur and Desraj.
The white sedan involved in the crash had a Patiala district registration number. The report said people travelling in the vehicle were apprehended by police, while the driver fled the scene after the collision. The account also said several people were seriously injured, although the precise number of injured victims was not clearly established in the report.
Following the crash, residents from Alisher and nearby villages gathered at the site and blocked the Lehra-Jakhal road. They raised slogans against the administration and demanded justice for the victims’ families. Their allegations included a delay in the arrival of an ambulance after repeated calls for help.
Lehragaga police station SHO Jaskaran Singh reached the site with a police team, while DSP (D) Palwinder Singh Cheema also visited the location. Cheema assured the crowd that legal action would be taken against those responsible for the deaths under provisions relating to rash and negligent driving, and that the affected families would receive justice.
The incident has brought together two immediate road-safety concerns: the danger faced by workers operating beside active roads and the speed of emergency response after a serious crash. The supplied report did not mention whether the road project had traffic-management arrangements, warning signs or protective barriers at the location.
Police action and the treatment of the injured are expected to remain the next steps in the case. The report did not provide details of an official compensation announcement or confirm the specific charges filed against the accused.
