Eighteen people met with an accident when the small truck they were travelling in after immersing an idol at Babughat in central Kolkata toppled early on Sunday, police said.
All 18 people, aged between 12 and 50 years, were thrown on the road after the accident. Two of them — Riya Das, 35, and Sushmita Mondal, 19, both residents of Pottery Road in east Kolkata’s Tangra — suffered multiple injuries and had to be admitted to SSKM Hospital.
The accident happened around 6.15am on Strand Road, near Prinsep Ghat.
“A preliminary inquiry suggests that the vehicle, a Tata Ace, apparently lost control and hit the median divider before it toppled over. The two women, who suffered maximum injuries, were trapped under other passengers,” said an officer of Hastings police station.
A team from the police station seized the Tata Ace but the driver fled amid the commotion, an officer said.
“The vehicle was moving at a high speed. We were chatting when suddenly there was a loud sound and we all lost balance. The vehicle toppled the next moment and we all fell on the road,” said a passenger who escaped with minor injuries.
A case of rash and negligent driving has been registered against the driver.
All the passengers were taken to SSKM Hospital, from where all except the two women were discharged after treatment.
In December 2020, four persons returning home in a truck after performing the last rites of a family member had died after the truck overturned on the AJC Bose Road flyover.