Darjeeling: Three dead, several injured as bus rams into a truck

Darjeeling: A North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) bus rammed into a truck killing three and injuring several others. The accident occurred in the wee hours of Monday at Bidhannagar in the plains of the Darjeeling district.

Tourism Minister Gautam Deb visited the ailing at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH). "On the direction of the Chief Minister I handed over Rs. 2 lakh each to the families of the three persons who lost their lives including the conductor of the bus. Rs. 25,000 has been handed over the grievously injured person. The amount has been paid by NBMCH. 7 others were released after primary treatment" stated Deb.

The NBSTC bus was travelling from Kolkata to Cooch Behar. At around 3am the bus rammed into a truck on the side of the road. Local residents informed the police and the fire brigade. They too aided in the rescue operation.

"We had to use gas cutter to bring out the passengers" stated a fireman. Visibility was low owing to dense fog at the time of the accident.

Some passengers even complained that the bus was at high speed and the driver was using a cell phone when the accident occurred. Mridul Das of Dinhata who was the on-duty conductor; Passengers Ibrahim Sheikh from Dhuliyan and Santosh Mondal from Malda died on the spot. Gitangshu Ghosh of Siliguri is undergoing treatment at NBMCH. Police have started investigations.