In the shadow of tragedy, a Toronto family is left reeling after a devastating car crash in India claimed the life of a beloved mother, sister, and wife. Prabhjot Kaur, a 35-year-old Toronto resident, had traveled to Punjab just days before the fatal accident occurred near Ludhiana on Monday.
“She left just days ago,” said Gurpreet Singh, Kaur’s brother-in-law, his voice breaking as he spoke from the family’s Toronto home. “We were planning to join her next month for a family celebration. Now we’re planning her funeral.”
According to relatives, Kaur had traveled to India to attend a cousin’s wedding and to visit her parents’ ancestral village. The crash reportedly happened when the car she was traveling in collided with a transport truck on a highway near Ludhiana, a major city in Punjab.
The Global Affairs Canada department confirmed they are “aware of the death of a Canadian citizen in India” and are providing consular assistance to the family, though they declined to provide specific details citing privacy considerations.
For the tight-knit Sikh community in Toronto’s east end, the news has sent shockwaves through local gurdwaras and community centers where Kaur was an active volunteer.
Kaur’s husband, Manjinder Singh, is devastated by the loss. The couple had built their life in Toronto after immigrating from India nearly a decade ago. “She was the light of our home,” Singh told me during a brief conversation at their residence, where friends and family have gathered to offer support.
Their two children, aged 7 and 10, are struggling to comprehend their mother’s sudden absence. Community members have organized meal deliveries and childcare assistance as the family navigates this difficult time.
“The kids keep asking when mom is coming home,” said Harpreet Kaur, a close family friend. “How do you explain to children that their mother isn’t coming back?”
The accident highlights the risks faced by many Canadian travelers on India’s notoriously dangerous roads. According to the World Health Organization, India has one of the highest rates of traffic fatalities globally, with more than 150,000 deaths annually.
Local community leader Jasbir Singh noted that similar tragedies affecting Canadian visitors to India occur with troubling frequency. “Many of our community members travel back home regularly. We hear these heartbreaking stories too often.”
The family is now working with officials to bring Kaur’s remains back to Canada, a process complicated by international regulations and paperwork. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help cover these expenses and support the family.
At Khalsa Darbar, a gurdwara where Kaur regularly volunteered, a prayer service is planned for this weekend. “She embodied seva, selfless service,” said Gurmel Singh, a temple committee member. “Her contributions to langar preparation and youth education programs touched many lives.”
Colleagues at the daycare center where Kaur worked as an early childhood educator described her as passionate and dedicated. “The children adored her,” said center director Maria Gonzalez. “She had this special way of connecting with even the most shy kids.”
As arrangements continue for memorial services, the family has requested privacy during this difficult time. Community leaders have emphasized the importance of supporting the grieving husband and children in the months ahead.
“When the initial support fades, that’s when they’ll need us most,” noted Dr. Amrit Kaur, a community psychologist who works with families experiencing traumatic loss. “Our community needs to remember this is not a short-term need.”
For Toronto’s vibrant Punjabi community, this tragedy serves as a somber reminder of the fragility of life and the special challenges faced by immigrant families separated by vast distances from extended family networks.
As I left the family’s home yesterday evening, the sunset cast long shadows across the street where neighbors had placed flowers and candles on the front steps – a small gesture of solidarity in the face of unimaginable loss.
