📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Basher Eyre
Crime
Eight MGNREGA workers killed in Punjab as speeding car runs them over
✍️ India Today
🗓 19 Oct 2026, 02:32 AM
👁 12
A speeding vehicle struck a group of eight MGNREGA laborers in Punjab, killing all of them, officials said.
Punjab police confirmed that a speeding car collided with a group of eight workers employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), resulting in their deaths. The incident occurred on a rural road while the laborers were on a work assignment, according to local authorities.
Eyewitnesses reported that the vehicle was traveling at high speed when it struck the workers, who were standing near the roadside. Emergency services arrived promptly, but the injuries were fatal for all eight.
The police have opened an investigation into the cause of the accident and are seeking to identify the driver. Preliminary statements suggest possible negligence, and the case may be treated as a hit‑and‑run if the driver fled the scene.
State officials expressed grief over the loss of the laborers, who were part of a government scheme aimed at providing rural employment. A senior government spokesperson said the authorities will ensure a thorough inquiry and appropriate legal action.
The incident has raised concerns about road safety in rural Punjab and the need for stricter enforcement of speed limits, especially in areas where government workers are present.
Eyewitnesses reported that the vehicle was traveling at high speed when it struck the workers, who were standing near the roadside. Emergency services arrived promptly, but the injuries were fatal for all eight.
The police have opened an investigation into the cause of the accident and are seeking to identify the driver. Preliminary statements suggest possible negligence, and the case may be treated as a hit‑and‑run if the driver fled the scene.
State officials expressed grief over the loss of the laborers, who were part of a government scheme aimed at providing rural employment. A senior government spokesperson said the authorities will ensure a thorough inquiry and appropriate legal action.
The incident has raised concerns about road safety in rural Punjab and the need for stricter enforcement of speed limits, especially in areas where government workers are present.