West Bengal: Two died, 22 injured as lorry hits bus in Murshidabad district

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Authorities in West Bengal on Monday said that at least two persons were killed and 22 injured when a lorry hit a bus at Samserganj in West Bengal's Murshidabad district today, news agency PTI reported.

The accident happened when the bus was picking up passengers at a stop in Basudevpur and was hit by a Farakka-bound lorry from behind, a senior police officer told PTI.

"Two persons died at the spot and 22 others were injured. All the injured are being treated at Jangipur Sub-Divisional Hospital," he told PTI over the phone. The identities of the two deceased are yet to be ascertained, he said, adding that the bodies are kept at the morgue of the same hospital. An investigation of the accident is on, he added.

Earlier on June 17, at least two women were killed and another injured after getting crushed under a coal-laden truck in Odisha's Koraput district, police said Saturday, reported PTI. The deceased have been identified as Brajalaxmi Rao and Rajeswari Behia, both residents of Tikira Street of Koraput, police had said.

On 12 June, authorities in Andhra Pradesh said that six persons were killed on the spot when the car in which they were travelling hit a lorry on the highway in the wee hours of Monday in East Godavari district.

In a separate incident, in May, in a heart-wrenching incident, six women labourers lost their lives while another six sustained injuries when the autorickshaw they were travelling in collided with a speeding truck in a village located in Palnadu district in Andhra Pradesh. The unfortunate mishap took place during the early hours, as the women, who hailed from a neighboring region, were en route to Pulipadu village in Palnadu district to participate in the chilli harvesting activities. According to Gurajala Sub-Divisional Police Officer A. Pallapu Raju, the incident occurred at approximately 4:42 am when an overloaded truck, loaded with lemons and heading towards Lucknow from Guduru, collided with the autorickshaw. The injured victims were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital in Miriyalaguda, located in the neighboring state of Telangana. They are currently receiving necessary medical treatment to aid their recovery, as confirmed by the authorities.

The autorickshaw, carrying a total of twelve passengers, was struck by the speeding truck, claiming the lives of six women laborers.

In response to this incident, a case has been registered under the Indian Penal Code sections 304 (A) and 337, reflecting the severity of the matter.

(With inputs from PTI)