Big Breaking: Omni Van pulled out of Bhakra Canal after 26 Years; Entire family had drowned in 2000
Babushahi Bureau
Kiratpur Sahib (Punjab), May 20, 2026 — In a heartbreaking development, an Omni van belonging to a family from Kotla village near Kiratpur Sahib has been recovered from the Bhakra Canal nearly 26 years after the family mysteriously disappeared in the year 2000.
According to reports, four members of the same family — three adults and one child — had gone missing after their Maruti Omni van reportedly plunged into the Bhakra Canal while they were returning home from a wedding function. Despite extensive search operations at the time, neither the bodies nor the vehicle could be traced due to the strong water current in the canal.
Villagers and relatives had then spent lakhs of rupees to bring in special diving teams in an attempt to locate the family, but all efforts had failed.
The mystery resurfaced recently when noted diver and social worker Kamalpreet Saini was conducting a separate search operation in the canal for another missing person. During the operation, he spotted a vehicle trapped deep inside the canal. Realising its significance, he immediately secured the vehicle with heavy ropes underwater to prevent it from drifting further away.
On Wednesday, with the assistance of the local administration and villagers, the badly damaged Omni van was finally pulled out of the canal after hours of effort.
According to Kamalpreet Saini, the rear portion and roof of the van were severely damaged due to the force of the water and the passage of time. The recovery of the vehicle after more than two decades has reopened old wounds for the affected families and sparked emotional reactions across the region.
The incident has become a major topic of discussion in the area, as a 26-year-old mystery linked to the disappearance of an entire family has finally seen a significant breakthrough.