Four killed as bus collides with ADM Bankura's car

Four persons including the security guard and driver of Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Bankura were killed and 29 others were injured when a private bus collided head on with the officer's car at Taldangra in Bankura on Sunday afternoon.

The injured persons were admitted to Taldangra Rural Hospital where they are fighting with their lives. Nabakumar Burman, the ADM, also received severe injuries and is admitted to the hospital. Police said that the incident took place when the ADM was returning from Panskura after attending a programme organised on Bonmohotsav. The bus was packed with passengers and was being driven recklessly.

Despite being asked by passengers not to over-speed, the driver did not pay heed to them and continued driving recklessly as there were not many vehicles on the road on Sunday afternoon. The bus had been overtaking vehicles including some heavy trucks for the past few minutes and the accident took place when it attempted to overtake another vehicle. Police heard from eye-witnesses that the driver had failed to control the speed of the bus when he suddenly found the car coming from the opposite direction while overtaking another vehicle and collided with it resulting in the death of four persons and leaving 29 others injured.

Locals initiated the rescue work and police went to the spot within a few minutes and later joined in. They found the driver and security guard who were in the front seat of the ADM's car lying unconscious with blood stains all over their bodies. The ADM was in the rear seat. Several passengers in the bus were also injured and remained stuck inside for around half-an-hour.

Later, the police and locals brought them out of the bus one by one and they were taken to Taldangra Rural Hospital where they were given necessary treatment. Two women passengers of the bus, the driver and security guard of the ADM were declared brought dead. The police are trying to identify them. Conditions of some of the injured are critical. A police contingent went to the spot and managed the movement of traffic. There was traffic snarls due to the accident.

In another road accident at Uluberia, 10 people were injured when a mini-truck which was heading towards East Midnapore turned on its side on National Highway 6. The injured were admitted to a hospital.