Two persons died and at least twelve others were injured after a mini-bus ferrying employees of a thread factory crashed into a stationary truck on National Highway in Khanna near Beeja village, Sunday morning. Police said that the truck was laden with iron rods and was standing stationary on the roadside. Due to less visibility, the speeding bus crashed into it.

The deceased were identified as Mahima Kumari, 20, of Mandi Gobingarh and Sandeep Kumar, 22, of Beeja village of Khanna. Another injured person Mahesh Kumar, 40, has been referred to a hospital in Chandigarh sensing his critical condition.

The Khanna police registered an FIR against Rajesh Kumar of Mandi Gobindgarh, the driver of the truck. Police said that the truck had broken down following which the driver parked it on the roadside, but parking lights and reflectors were not installed which led to the mishap. Also, the iron rods were hanging out from the truck which might have led to more fatalities, said police.

Pooja Kumari, a factory worker and eyewitness told cops that around 30 of her colleagues who work at a thread factory near Doraha, were going to their work place in mini-bus of the factory on Sunday morning. She added that suddenly a broken down truck came on the way and even as driver of their vehicle applied brakes, the iron rods loaded in the truck pierced into their bus before it collided with the stationary truck.

The impact of the collision was so high that the iron rods went at least five feet inside the bus and injured the factory workers. Mahima Kumari and Sandeep Kumar died on the spot.

Khanna DSP William Jeji said that according to the factory workers the bus driver was also speeding. He failed to notice the stationary truck and crashed the bus into it.

The DSP added that an FIR under sections 304-A, 283, 337, 338 and 427 of IPC has been lodged against the driver of the truck at Khanna Sadar police station.