People of Sikh community mourn around the caskets of their
family members, who were killed in the Friday’s accident, in Peshawar
At least 22 people, including 20 Sikhs were
killed when the driver of a coaster bus they were travelling in reportedly
tried to take a shortcut to avoid a railway crossing and rammed the vehicle
into a passenger train near Farooqabad in Sheikhupura of Punjab province.
A group of 25 members of
Sikh community had started from Nankana Sahib on Friday for Peshawar after
attending the antim ardas (prayer meet) of a person from the community who had
died of Coronavirus a month ago.Only five of them
reached back home.
At least 22 people, including
20 Sikhs – nine men, 10 women and a child – were killed when the driver of a
coaster bus they were travelling in reportedly tried to take a shortcut to avoid
a railway crossing and rammed the vehicle into a passenger train near
Farooqabad in Sheikhupura of Punjab province. The bus had 27 people on board.
A day later, the tiny Sikh
community in Pakistan is yet to come to terms with the loss. Most families affected
by the accident lost more than one member.
The bodies reached
Preshawar early on Saturday. Amidst recital of prayers, the last rites were
performed at a cremation center in Attock.
Speaking to The Sunday
Express over phone from Peshawar, Gurmeet Singh, who lost six members of his
family, said they were yet to come to terms with tragedy. “My parents are gone.
My uncles are gone. He was shattered
Imran Gondal, deputy
secretary (shrines), Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETBP), said that a
“compensation of Rs 1 lakh for each deceased’s family has been announced”.
The Sikh organisations
working worldwide need to step up to help these families.”
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