A tragic road accident in Canada claimed the lives of three Indian students from Punjab last week. The victims were identified as Harman Somal (23), Navjot Somal (19), and Rashmdeep Kaur (23), all of whom were studying in Canada. The accident took place on July 27, around 9:27 pm, on Highway 2 in Mill Cove, New Brunswick. According to Canada police, the car carrying the students was traveling from Moncton city in New Brunswick when a tire burst, causing the vehicle to lose control and overturn.
Harman and Navjot Somal were siblings from Malaud village in Ludhiana, while Rashmdeep Kaur was the daughter of government teachers, Bhupinder Singh and Suchet Kaur, from Samana in Sangrur district. Navjot Somal had arrived in Canada a few months earlier on a study visa.
Chamkaur Singh, Rashmdeep Kaur’s uncle who had emigrated to Canada four years ago, stated that the students were returning by taxi after submitting their permanent residency (PR) files in Mountain City. The impact of the accident resulted in severe injuries for all three occupants. Despite being rescued from the vehicle, the students were tragically declared dead at a nearby hospital. The taxi driver, however, survived the incident.
The families of the victims have appealed to the Punjab government to facilitate the return of their loved ones’ bodies to their native villages. This heartbreaking incident follows a similar tragedy on July 22, where Lakhwinder Kaur, another Punjabi student from Batala in Gurdaspur, died in a road accident near Brampton, Canada. The 21-year-old had been in Canada on a study visa for 10 months and was one of three fatalities in that accident.
Government data reveals a grim reality, with 633 incidents of Indian student deaths reported abroad in the last five years. These deaths were attributed to various causes, including natural causes, with Canada sadly topping the list with 172 cases. These recent incidents highlight the dangers faced by Indian students pursuing education abroad and emphasize the need for greater safety measures and support systems.
