A pall of gloom has descended on Jaurkian village in Mansa after three local youths were killed in a road accident on Friday night, turning the festive pre-Diwali atmosphere into mourning.According to village residents, Amritpal Singh (25), Harbhajan Singh (25) and Balwinder Singh, alias Bogha (30), were returning home on their motorcycle when they collided with an oncoming tractor-trailer overloaded with paddy stubble bales around 8:30 pm on the Jaurkian-Natheha road.Amritpal and Harbhajan were riding back from work when Balwinder, who also worked at a shop in Bathinda district’s Talwandi Sabo, hitched a ride with them from Natheha village. As they neared Jaurkian, the tractor-trailer struck their motorcycle. All three sustained serious injuries and were rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared them dead.Villagers alleged that the tractor-trailer driver fled the spot immediately after the accident.Confirming the incident, Jaurkian police station SHO Inspector Balvir Singh said, “Three youths lost their lives in an accident involving an overloaded tractor-trailer. The driver managed to flee, and efforts are under way to nab him.”Notably, tractor-trailers transporting paddy stubble bales often pose a serious threat to commuters, as many operate without reflectors, making them difficult to spot at night.