Heria: Four persons, including the owner of a private bus, were killed and three others critically injured when a speeding truck rammed the stationary vehicle from behind on the Digha-Nandakumar National Highway 116B on Thursday morning.
The accident took place around 6.30 am near Heria, around 126 km from Kolkata. Police said the bus was on its way to Digha from Kolkata when it developed a mechanical snag. The driver parked the vehicle on the highway to carry out repairs when the speeding truck lost control and crashed into it.
The deceased have been identified as bus owner Tapan Das, 44, driver Shibabrata Pattanaik, and helpers Ashok Maity and Shubhadip Mandal. According to the police, they were standing near the front of the bus and underneath it when the impact occurred. They were trapped under the chassis and died on the spot. The three injured were rushed to the Heria Health Centre for treatment.
The truck has been seized, and an investigation has been launched. The mishap triggered a massive traffic snarl on the highway, which was cleared after the damaged vehicles were towed away.