Kolkata: In several tragic incidents on Saturday, the day of Bhai Phonta, three persons, including a woman, were killed and seven injured in separate road mishaps in Kolkata and its twin city Howrah.
The first incident at Baghajatin in South Kolkata claimed the life of 25-year-old civil engineer Shubhojit Sur when a private bus on the Garia Station to Bagbazar route hit his two-wheeler on Baghajatin Flyover. The accident took place when the victim, a resident of Narendrapur, was riding to a private hospital where his uncle was admitted. "He had promised to return home within an hour and take 'bhai phonta' from his sister. But reckless driving claimed his life," said one of his family members and demanded proper traffic management in the area to avert such incidents.
The situation would have turned worse if a passenger of the packed bus had not stopped the vehicle by applying brakes as the driver and helper had fled after jumping from the running bus soon after the accident. Policemen from Survey Park later arrested the helper of the bus.
In the evening, the city witnessed another tragic road accident when a speeding red car hit seven pedestrians on EM Bypass at Chingrighata Crossing. One of the injured persons, a 40-year-old unidentified man, was declared brought dead at the hospital. The car was heading towards Ultadanga from Science City.
Traffic in the area is controlled by the Kolkata Traffic Police while it is under the jurisdiction of Bidhannagar South police station of the Bidhannagar Commissionerate. Sources said that the police have seized the car.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the vehicle belonged to a doctor, who along with his family members, were travelling in the car when the accident took place. The police are questioning the driver of the car.
The cops are also trying to ascertain the exact reason behind the accident, but suspect a technical snag could be the reason.
Fifty-six-year-old kidney patient Soma Naha was killed while his son and driver of the toto, in which she was travelling, were severely injured after a two-wheeler hit the e-vehicle on Foreshore Road. The accident took place when the woman was heading to a healthcare centre for dialysis.
Preliminary investigation revealed that both the rider and the pillion rider were not wearing helmets. Both fled the spot soon after the accident. The bike was at a high speed and hit the toto when it tried to cross the road all of a sudden.
In another road mishap, the Officer-in-charge of Hooghly's Gurap police station Puspen Sanyal and Sub-Inspector Samir Majumder were severely injured when a truck hit their jeep on the national highway.