Four persons have been killed in road accidents in Asansol and Durgapur in three separate incidents, while two others have drowned in Kulti of West Burdwan district in the four days of Durga Puja.
In Asansol south police station limits two persons were killed in two different mishaps. The first incident happened near Shani mandir in Ashram More on G T Road, when a car crashed with a motorcycle, killing Rahul Nayak of Mohishila Colony on-the-spot. In another road accident, one Ranjit Nunia of Parbelia in Purulia was killed when a motorcycle crashed upon him at Dhemo Main on G T Road area on the same day. Both these two tragic accidents have been captured in CCTV footages installed near the sites.
Two sisters, Arpita Sonkar (7) and Anchal Sonkar (12) were killed on Saturday at the state highways, beside the Durgapur Barrage when a motorcyclist running at high speed lost control and crashed on them. The two sisters were going to their uncle’s house to see Durga Puja.
Both the girls succumbed to their injuries while being shifted to Durgapur Sub-Divisional Hospital in West Burdwan district.
Angry residents blocked the highway in protest, between Pragati Pally and Subhas Pally.
Former councilor Priyanki Panja rushed to the spot to pacify the mob who were demanding compensation, speed-breakers on the highway and repairing of the dilapidated stretches. Coke Oven police also reached the site getting the information but agitated locals gheraoed the police station officers.
For more than an hour, the state highway was blocked leading to a huge traffic jam at the Durgapur Barrage Road. Later, the blockade was withdrawn after intervention of Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate (ADPC).
In Kulti, two youths drowned while bathing at Sitalpur Ghat in the Damodar on Sunday afternoon. Jawans of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and civil defence have started search operations in rubber boats, but none of them have been rescued so far.
The two youths have been identified as Krishan Kumar from Ranchi and his relative, Bansh Kumar from Kulti region. Krishan Kumar had come to his relatives house for the Durga Puja celebrations from Jharkhand.