Several students injured as pool-car falls into waterbody beside NH2

Kolkata: Several students were injured after a pool-car fell into a roadside waterbody on Friday morning near Sugandha more at Polba in Hooghly. Two students were shifted to SSKM Hospital later through a green corridor, as their condition deteriorated.

According to sources, on Friday morning students of a private English medium school located near Khadina More in Chinsurah were going to school in a pool-car from Sreerampore area. Locals claimed that the car was running at a high speed along National Highway 2, commonly known as Delhi road.

Near Sugandha More, the driver of the SUV identified as Pabitra Biswas reportedly lost control of the vehicle and the car fell into a roadside waterbody.

Hearing the sound of the accident and children screaming for help, local residents ran to the spot and started initial rescue operations. Within a few minutes, police arrived at the spot and joined the rescue operation. However, Biswas has denied the allegation of overspeeding and claimed that a truck, which was moving in front of the pool-car, took a 'U turn' suddenly. As a result, he lost control while trying to avoid collision with the truck.

While doing so, the car fell into the water body. Police, however, suspect that the accident happened due to overspeeding.

Within a few minutes of the accident, locals rescued the students and rushed them to Chinsurah Imambara Hospital, with help from police. Meanwhile, MLA Chinsurah Asit Majumdar reached the hospital.

After admitting the students, doctors found two of them identified as Risabh Singh and Dibyangshu Bhagat in critical condition and suggested to shift them to SSKM Hospital.

Immediately, senior police officials were contacted. Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee reached SSKM Hospital and arranged for the treatment of the students.

Soon, a green corridor was initiated and Risabh was taken to SSKM Hospital within 52 minutes. Bhagat, who was in the next trauma care ambulance, also reached the hospital within an hour from Chinsurah.

Both of them have been admitted at the ICU. Sources informed that doctors are keeping round-the-clock check on them. "Condition of the students is not good. As per the doctors, nothing can be said before 48 hours," said Banerjee.

It may be mentioned that on Thursday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, during an administrative meeting in Durgapur, instructed the police administration to implement Safe Drive Save Life (SDSL) in the rural areas as well, as several accidents take place in the rural belt.

She also informed that state government has marked 981 spots across the state as 'dark spots', which are highly accident-prone zones.