Alipurduar: A container truck driver was killed early Tuesday after a head-on collision between two lorries on the Torsa Bridge along National Highway 31C near Hasimara. The accident took place at dawn when the container truck, travelling from Siliguri towards Assam, collided with a tipper truck coming from the opposite direction.
The impact was so severe that the container truck broke through the concrete railing and plunged nearly 40 feet into the dry bed of the Torsa River. As it is the dry season, low water levels prevented further damage. The incident caused panic in the Hasimara Torsa Bridge area.
Police from Hasimara Outpost and a rescue team rushed to the spot. The driver was rescued in a critical condition but later succumbed to his injuries.
Officer-in-Charge of Hasimara Outpost, Debashis Ranjan Deb, stated: “Preliminary information identifies the deceased as Mohammad Rais, a resident of Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh.
The vehicle lost control and fell off the bridge. We reached the spot promptly after receiving the alert. Although the driver was rescued swiftly, he could not be saved.”
He further added that the container was found locked, making it difficult to immediately determine its contents. However, initial observations suggest that it was carrying stationery items such as notebooks, pencils and chalk.