Five killed in two separate road accidents in state

Five persons including two children were killed in two separate road accidents in the state on Friday.

The first incident took place at Mongolkot in Burdwan when four persons of same family including two children died after meeting with a road accident. Police said that the deceased have been identified as Saiful Seikh (26), Ismatara Bibi (32), Amina Khatun (10) and Aslam Mollah (8). 

According to the police, the victims were riding a motorcycle when it was hit by a dumper coming from the opposite direction. Agitated mob had set the vehicle on fire after the accident. They also put up demonstration at the Bakshinagar area of Mongolkot on Friday morning. The local people caught the driver of the vehicle and beat him up. Police later rescued the driver and arrested him. A huge contingent of police had to rush to the spot to control the situation.

The incident created huge traffic jams in the area as a mob was demonstrating on the road.

The local people told the police that the dumper was coming at a top speed at around 10 am on Friday when it lost control and hit the motorcycle coming from the opposite direction. The driver of the dumper applied emergency brakes but could not stop the vehicle and the four victims were crushed under the wheels of the dumper. 

The incident triggered tension in the area. After being informed, police reached the spot and tried to pacify the mob. They recovered the bodies and sent them for post-mortem examinations. The police brought the situation under control after two hours.

In another incident which took place in Siliguri on Friday afternoon, an army truck lost control and allegedly mowed down a hawker and injured some others who are currently undergoing treatment at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.

The victim has been identified as Lalu Roy, a resident of Siliguri. The army truck was being driven by a civilian GT driver and it was moving from Hashimara to Bengdubi when the accident had taken place. It lost control near Vishal Megamart on Burdwan Road, Siliguri. The driver tried to apply the brakes but collided with a parked Wagon R due to heavy traffic. The victim was killed on the spot while ten others suffered injuries. The injured were taken to Sadar Hospital, Siliguri. The cause of the accident is suspected to be mechanical failure.

The local people, however, alleged that the driver of the vehicle was drunk at the time of the accident. It also damaged shop stalls which were situated on the side of the road. Police, however, held the driver of the truck for interrogation. A Court of Inquiry has been convened to investigate the cause of the accident. The Indian Army deeply regretted the incident and has assured full cooperation with the police.