A six-year-old girl and her uncle were killed after a tractor crashed into them near Birhata Ghori More on GT Road in Bardhaman on Wednesday morning, while a rickshaw driver was injured in the same sequence of events. Police arrested the tractor driver after the crash.
The victims were identified as Sohana Sultana, a Class I student at Vidyarthi Girls’ School, and her uncle, Maidul Molla. They lived in the Bahir Sarbamangalapara area under Bardhaman Sadar police station, according to the report citing police sources.
Sohana had been travelling by bicycle with her uncle to attend a flower-related school event. The pair stopped beside the road near a flower shop so that Molla could buy flowers for the child. The area around Birhata Ghori More has several flower shops along GT Road.
Local residents said the tractor suddenly crossed the divider from the opposite side of the road and moved towards the roadside shops. The vehicle reportedly lost control, entered one of the shops and hit the uncle and niece, who were standing beside the bicycle. People nearby rushed to the spot and took the injured pair to hospital, where doctors declared them dead.
The report said the tractor had also hit a rickshaw driver before entering the shop. The injured man was admitted to hospital for treatment. The condition of his injuries was not specified in the report.
Bardhaman Sadar police reached the accident site after receiving information and detained the tractor driver. A preliminary police assessment indicated that the driver may have been under the influence of alcohol, although the report did not provide details of any medical test or other evidence confirming this allegation.
The deaths brought mourning to the victims’ families and neighbourhood. Police sent the bodies for post-mortem examination. The reported sequence, involving a vehicle crossing a divider, striking another road user and entering a roadside commercial space, has also highlighted the risks faced by pedestrians, cyclists and small roadside businesses on busy urban corridors.
Further action will depend on the police investigation, the post-mortem process and the evidence collected in the case.
