Canberra, Australia: Two individuals, including an NRI from Australia, tragically lost their lives, and one other was critically injured in a collision between their taxi and a sugarcane-loaded tractor-trolley on National Highway 44 in Punjab.

The accident occurred on Wednesday night at the Sugar Mill flyover, resulting in the deaths of 28-year-old NRI Dilpreet Singh and the 38-year-old taxi driver, Yugraj Masih. Police confirmed the incident on Friday.

Dilpreet Singh's mother, Gurinder Kaur, sustained severe injuries and was initially treated at Civil Hospital in Phagwara before being transferred to DMC Hospital in Ludhiana due to her critical condition, as per Investigating Officer Jatinder Pal. Ms. Kaur suffered a broken jaw and other serious injuries.

According to the police, Gurinder Kaur had traveled to Australia in November to visit her son, who was settled in Melbourne. They were returning to their home in Ludhiana when the tragic accident occurred.

Harpreet Singh, the father of the deceased, told authorities that his wife had called him around 9:15 pm on Wednesday to inform him they had just departed from the Amritsar airport in the taxi. A subsequent call at 11:33 pm informed him of the accident.

On the basis of Harpreet Singh’s complaint, police have registered a case against the driver of the tractor-trolley, who is currently absconding. The vehicle has been impounded, and authorities are working to arrest the driver soon.