Two killed, 24 injured in 4 separate road mishaps

Two persons were killed and 24 others injured in four separate road accidents in the state.

The first accident took place near Pepsi gate area of Panagarh when a state-run bus was hit by a dumper claiming the life of a person and injuring 20 others. Some of them had suffered severe injuries and are undergoing treatment in the hospital. The bus driver and the conductor of the bus were also injured in the accident.

Police said that the bus was going to Purulia from Kolkata. When it was passing through Kotagram at Budbud area, the vehicle lost control and went across to the opposite lane after hitting a divider. A dumper which was going to Burdwan from Panagarh collided head on with the bus. As the bus suddenly came to the other lane, the driver of the dumper could not stop the vehicle and it rammed into the bus. The front portion of the bus was badly damaged in the incident.

The police are yet to ascertain the identity of the deceased person. The local residents took part in the rescue operation before the police reached the spot. All the injured passengers were taken to Durgapur sub-divisional hospital.

Some of them were later shifted to a private hospital in Durgapur as their condition deteriorated. The local people told the police that the bus was running at top speed when it hit the divider and came to the other lane.

Police suspect that the bus driver might have fallen asleep while driving which might have led to the mishap. Police have started a probe in this regard.

In a similar incident, three pedestrians were injured when a speeding matador lost control and hit them on EM Bypass near Mathpukur area on Monday morning. The local people and police rushed the injured victims to the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH) for treatment. Police said that the vehicle was at top speed when the driver lost control and hit a divider before injuring the victims. Police have arrested the driver.

In the other incident a person who works as a night guard at Bhavanipur area under Haldia police station in East Midnapore died after being crushed under the wheels of a truck.

In the fourth incident, a truck driver suffered critical injuries when his truck overturned near Panagarh on Dubrajpur state highway.