At least seven people were killed and more than a dozen injured in separate road accidents across Chhattisgarh’s Korba, Kanker, Raigarh and Bemetara districts during Dussehra celebrations, with the incidents bringing renewed attention to road safety on highways and rural routes. The crashes occurred between Tuesday evening and Wednesday, according to a report by the Times of India – Raipur.
In Korba’s Kartala area, Yashwant Gupta, 24, and Shubham Gupta, 20, died after an unidentified heavy vehicle struck their electric scooter on the Rampur-Nonbirra road late Tuesday. The two men had reportedly completed a Durga idol immersion-related ritual and were returning after taking puja material to a priest’s house. Both died at the scene, while the driver fled.
Kartala police said they were scanning CCTV footage and questioning local residents to identify the vehicle and trace the driver. The crash occurred after a nine-day Durga celebration in the village, according to family members quoted in the report.
Two more people were killed in a late-night collision on the bypass in Kanker. The deaths prompted residents of Nandanmara to block the bypass on the National Highway 30 stretch the following morning. Protesters, including women and children, alleged that inadequate lighting and the absence of speed-control measures had made the road dangerous.
Residents demanded streetlights, speed breakers and an overbridge at the location. Administrative and police officials reached the site, after which the blockade was withdrawn following assurances on the demands. The report did not specify the nature of the collision or identify the vehicles involved in the Kanker crash.
Raigarh district recorded three deaths in two separate accidents in the Chhal region on Tuesday night. In one incident, four youths, including a minor, were travelling on a single motorcycle towards a fair when they allegedly crashed into the rear of a stationary truck. Krishna Rathia, 15, and Jitendra Rathia died at the spot. Dharmendra Rathia and Kundan Rathia suffered serious injuries and were referred to Raipur for treatment.
In another accident near Chhal Chowk, an elderly man, Chandradev Singh Thakur, was walking with family members towards a fair when a motorcycle hit him from behind. He sustained severe head injuries and died at the scene. Police have begun investigations into both incidents in the district.
In Bemetara’s Nawagarh area, a tractor carrying more than 40 villagers overturned near Salheghori village as passengers returned from a Dussehra celebration. Around 12 people were injured and taken to the community health centre in Nawagarh. Four were reported to be in serious condition. Revenue and police officials visited the hospital and reviewed the condition of those injured.
The incidents involve different reported causes and circumstances, including a suspected hit-and-run, a collision with a stationary truck, a pedestrian death and the overturning of an overloaded tractor. Police and district authorities are investigating the individual crashes, while the response in Kanker has focused on lighting, speed control and safer road design at the bypass. Further action will depend on the ongoing investigations and the assurances given to protesting residents.
