Fourteen persons, including six minors, of a marriage party died in a devastating four-vehicle pile-up on a foggy Tuesday night on the Asian Highway 48 in Maynatoli area of the district’s Dhupguri block.
Thirteen others are injured and are being treated at various hospitals of the region.
On Tuesday, when three light vehicles — an Alto and two small vans — with 28 people of the marriage party were heading towards Dhupguri on the highway, a 10-wheel truck with boulders from the opposite end lost control, rammed into one of the light vehicles and then the two others.
“Because of the fog, visibility was poor. The first vehicle collided head-on with the truck and the truck hit the divider. The other two vehicles coming from the wrong side collided one by one with the left side of the truck. As a result of the impact, boulders on the truck as well as the truck itself fell on these light vehicles. Occupants got buried,” said a police officer, adding the truck driver had been detained.
As the passengers were taken out by the police, firemen and residents and rushed to Dhupguri block hospital, doctors pronounced 13 of them dead. Later, a woman shifted to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital succumbed, taking the toll to 14.
Sources said on Monday, a girl hailing from Char-Churabhandar village of Maynaguri block got married to a youth from Lalschool area of Dhupguri block. On Tuesday, the groom’s family arranged a reception and accordingly, 35 people from bride’s side were heading for the venue in five light vehicles, including cars.
The mishap involved three of those vehicles.
“Two vehicles had moved ahead and reached the groom’s place. Three vehicles were together and met with the accident,” said a villager.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh for each next-of-kin of the deceased, Rs 50,000 to each of those who with serious injuries and Rs 25,000 to each of those with minor injuries. “We want people to be more cautious while driving during winter months,” Mamata said.
On Wednesday, state ministers Gautam Deb and Rabindranath Ghosh, along with party leaders and MLA Mitali Roy, visited the homes of some of the victims, handed over compensation cheques and assured them that the government was taking care of the treatment of the injured.
The Prime Minister’s Office also came forward to help, announcing Rs 2 lakh for each of the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for each of the injured. “The road accident in Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri (West Bengal) is extremely anguishing. In this time of sadness, prayers with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon,” the PMO tweet read.