Car falls in Basirhat canal; husband dies, wife critical

One person was killed and the other has been injured when the car they were travelling in fell into a canal while crossing a wooden bridge at Swarupnagar area of Basirhat in North 24 Parganas on late Sunday night.

The driver of the car has gone missing and a search operation is being conducted by the local administration. The incident took place at Boyraghata area of Swarupnagar when a Maruti Omni fell into the canal while crossing a wooden bridge.

The deceased has been identified as Sanjit Mondal. Police said that Sanjit and his wife Puja Mondal were returning home in the car after attending a marriage ceremony late on Sunday night. The wooden bridge suddenly collapsed and the car fell into the canal. After being attracted by a loud thud and the screams of the victims, the local residents rushed to the spot and rescued the couple. They were rushed to a local health centre where Sanjit was declared brought dead while his wife has been undergoing treatment with serious injuries on various parts of her body. According to the doctors of the health centre, the condition of the patient is serious.

After being informed, the police reached the spot and recovered the car. A disaster management team also rushed to the spot and started a search operation. They failed to trace the driver of the car who has been missing since.