Family holiday turns tragic

NEW DELHI: A family summer excursion turned tragic when a minibus carrying 12 people met with an accident in Ambala, killing four adults and two children and grievously injuring the others. The bus was travelling to Dharamshala, carrying three couples and their children from two Delhi families, when a front tyre burst and it reportedly collided head-on with a speeding truck.Two of the couples were residents of the Shalimar Bagh and Meenakshi Garden localities here.
35-year-old businessman Hunny Sachdeva and his 32-year-old wife Kusum Sachdeva died in the accident, while their nine-year-old daughter Ridam is in critical condition in an Ambala hospital. The other victims include 35-year-old Gulshan Arora and his 10-year-old son, residents of Shalimar Bagh.
The families left Delhi around midnight on Tuesday on a family trip. "Their plan was to visit Dharamshala and Mussoorie. But on the very first night, the accident occurred around 4am in Ambala. Ambulances brought back the bodies. It is devastating," said Naveen Sachdeva, Hunny's brother.
"We have hardly had the time to absorb the impact of the tragedy. Hunny and Kusum were a lovely couple and had just celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary this year in February. Tragedy struck the family so suddenly that it is hard to believe. Thankfully, one of Hunny's daughters, Nancy, survived with only a fractured arm, but his other daughter Ridam's condition is critical. Let us hope for the best for her," said a neighbour of the Sachdeva household.
The six injured were admitted to Ambala Civil Hospital. The condition of three of the injured is critical.
"It was a hired bus, and we do not yet know the exact cause of the accident. Some reports say that because of the burst tyre, the driver lost control of the bus which then collided with a truck. The bodies of our family members have just arrived from Ambala and right now, both families are in a state of shock. We are hardly in a position to comment or even think about taking any action right now," said Naveen.