Three of family among 5 killed in Alipurduar mishap, 2 others dead in separate accidents

Kolkata: Five persons were killed in a fatal road accident that took place in Alipurduar on Wednesday morning. Two others were killed in separate accidents at Red Road and Jessore Road.

According to the police, three members of a family were among the five deceased who were killed in the Alipurduar incident.

The mishap took place at Shamuktala area of Alipurduar at around 11.30 am on Wednesday. The victims were travelling in a car, when a speeding truck coming from the opposite direction collided with them head-on. Two other persons were reported to have suffered injuries.

The victims have been identified as Ajit Basumata, Estar Basumata, Amrita Basumata, Bijay Sharma and Mithu. Ajit was a retired sub-inspector of police. According to the preliminary investigation, police suspect that the victims, who were all residents of Satali village, were going to attend a ceremony at Kamakhayaguri area.

Eye-witnesses told police that when the car was passing through the Shamuktala area, a truck suddenly came on its way. The driver applied sudden brake in vain as the truck hit the car. The accident happened as the truck was at a high speed, police said. The truck driver tried to stop the vehicle when he saw the car ahead but failed to do so, despite applying brake.

After hearing a loud thud, local residents rushed to the spot and found the victims in a pool of blood inside the car, that got damaged badly due to the intensity of the accident. The driver of the truck had fled from the spot immediately after the accident. Police later seized the truck and initiated a raid to nab the driver.

Local residents rushed the victims to a nearby hospital where some of the victims were declared brought dead while others succumbed to their injuries later.

The incident triggered traffic congestion in the area which was later brought under control by the police.

In another incident, a 40-year-old man, whose identity is yet to be divulged by the police, was found lying by the side of Red Road at around 11 am on Tuesday. He had multiple injuries on his body.

The nature of the injuries makes the police believe that he might have been knocked down by a vehicle while trying to cross the road. They had sent the injured victim to SSKM Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

In another incident, Ujjala Kanjilal, a resident of Sukantanagar area died in an accident on Jessore Road on Wednesday morning. The woman sustained critical injuries when some bricks fell on her after a truck, which was carrying the bricks, hit a bus. She died after being taken to a hospital.