Nine residents of Jharkhand lost their lives early this morning when the MUV they were travelling in collided head-on with a truck at high speed near Namshole Primary School, along national highway 18 (Jamshedpur–Purulia route), under the jurisdiction of Balarampur police station in Purulia district.
Abhijit Banerjee, superintendent of police, Purulia, rushed to the scene upon hearing the incident.
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The MUV, carrying nine passengers, including the driver, was en route Nimdih from Purulia in Saraikela district, Jharkhand. The passengers had attended a wedding and were returning home. Following the crash, local residents and Balarampur police launched rescue efforts and transported the injured to Namshole Primary Health Centre, where doctors declared them dead on arrival.
The deceased have been identified as: driver Chittaranjan Mahato, and passengers Bijay Mahato, Swapan Mahato, Ajay Mahato, Brihaspati Mahato, Gurupara Mahato, Shasanka Mahato, Krishna Mahato, and Chandra Mohan Mahato.
According to authorities, the MUV was speeding when it struck an 18-wheeler truck head-on. The impact caused the truck to overturn. Locals had to cut open the severely mangled MUV to retrieve the bodies.
“It appears that the driver lost control due to poor visibility caused by heavy rainfall,” stated the superintendent, Mr Banerjee. He also confirmed that a detailed investigation is underway, including forensic examination, to determine the exact cause of the accident.
Notably, just two days prior, two motorcyclists were killed in a separate accident near the same location. In response, the district’s traffic department has been placed on alert.
The truck, which was headed towards Balarampur, and the MUV, bound for Jharkhand, have both been seized. The truck driver and his assistant fled the scene.
The accident led to a temporary closure of the NH-18 stretch, resulting in significant traffic congestion for over an hour.
All bodies have been sent to Purulia Deben Mahato Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination.