Chilkirhat: 4 killed as car skids, plunges into ditch

Cooch Behar: A road accident claimed the lives of four people in the early hours of Tuesday near Chilkirhat. A four-wheeler, carrying five passengers, lost control in heavy rain and plunged into a roadside ditch while returning from Chandamari, going to Dewanhat.

Police identified the deceased as Dhananjay Barman (28), Amit Das (25), Sanjay Das (25) and Partha Das (24). Three of the victims were cousins. Dhananjay Barman, a resident of Dewanhat, was driving the car. Remarkably, one woman, 28-year-old Moumita Das, survived

the accident. Cooch Behar Superintendent of Police Dyutiman Bhattacharya said: “At around 3 am, five relatives were returning to Dewanhat after attending a family function at Chandamari when their Maruti Swift car skidded in the rain and fell into a ditch.

The woman survived and alerted authorities. With the help of the fire brigade, the vehicle was recovered, but the four others succumbed to their injuries. Their bodies were sent to MJN Hospital, Cooch Behar.” Local sources confirmed that the passengers had traveled from Dewanhat to Chandamari on Monday for a family gathering.