A collision between a sports utility vehicle linked to former Trinamool Congress MLA Sukumar Mahato and a passenger e-rickshaw at Boyarmari in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district has left at least two people dead and another seriously injured, according to a report by The Statesman. The report’s headline states that three people were killed, but its detailed account identifies two deceased people and one injured survivor. The fatality count remains to be independently clarified.
The crash took place on Wednesday when the SUV allegedly lost control, struck the e-rickshaw head-on and plunged into a roadside pond along with the three-wheeler. Mahato was not travelling in the vehicle. The SUV driver, who had reportedly been appointed recently, has been untraceable since the incident, according to the report.
The report said the driver was travelling towards Kolkata to bring Mahato. At the same time, the e-rickshaw was carrying passengers from the Malancha side towards Sandeshkhali. The two vehicles collided after reaching Boyarmari before entering the pond.
Local residents responded to the crash and helped rescue the occupants. Several e-rickshaw passengers were reportedly injured. The injured were taken to Minakhan Hospital, where doctors declared the e-rickshaw driver, Mujibur Rahaman, 47, and a passenger, Mahima Bibi, 50, dead. Another injured person was undergoing treatment at the hospital, according to the detailed account in the report.
Eyewitness Mizanur Molla said residents heard a loud crash and saw the black SUV hit the e-rickshaw before both vehicles fell into the pond. He said residents entered the water, moved the SUV and worked to remove the e-rickshaw trapped underneath it. A woman was found inside the three-wheeler and rescuers took considerable time to bring her out, he said.
Police from Nazat police station reached the site after receiving information and began investigating the circumstances of the collision. The whereabouts of the SUV driver were not known at the time of the report. The investigation is expected to establish how the vehicle lost control, the sequence of the collision and the circumstances surrounding the driver’s disappearance.
BJP MLA from Sandeshkhali Sanat Sardar visited the accident site and assured the affected families of support. He also urged Mahato to assist the families of those who died and help the injured.
Mahato said he had been unable to contact the driver. “Whether I was inside the vehicle or not, two people have lost their lives after being hit by my car. I will stand by both families and provide all possible assistance. I will also support those who have been injured,” he was quoted as saying.
The report requires clarification from police or hospital authorities on whether the final death toll is two or three. Further official details on the investigation and the driver’s whereabouts were not available in the supplied material.
