A bank employee and his wife were killed when the car they were travelling in rammed into a passenger bus and burst into flames in West Midnapore on Monday evening.

The accident occurred on a state highway near Bhadutala’s Burishola jungle under the jurisdiction of Salboni police station.

According to local resident Tarun Mahato, a private bus was heading toward Pirakata from Midnapore town around 4pm when a car approached from the opposite direction and rammed into it at high speed.

“The private car collided head-on with the bus that dragged the smaller vehicle for approximately 100 metres. When the bus dragged the car, its oil tank burst
and flames engulfed the vehicle, leaving no chance for anyone to rescue the occupants. The intensity of the fire was so severe that there was hardly any chance to save the duo trapped inside the car,” he said.

Police and fire brigade officials reached the spot. When the fire brigade personnel fought the flames initially, it was challenging to determine the number of occupants in the car.

After the flames were doused, it was found that there were two occupants in the car — Pradip Kumar Ray, 62, and Sawpna Halder (Ray), 55.

While Pradip, an employee of Bangiya Grameen Vikash Bank and a resident of Midnapore town, was driving the car, his wife Swapna was the other occupant.

“Both the occupants of the private car died. The bodies have been sent to Midnapore Medical College Hospital for post-mortem. Efforts are underway to inform their families about the accident,” a senior officer of Salboni police station said.

Preliminary investigations by the police suggested that the collision caused the fuel tank of the car to rupture, leading to the ignition. However, according to the police, the bus did not sustain significant damage and some of the passengers suffered minor injuries.

“The 21 bus passengers were released following initial medical care at Midnapore Medical College and Hospital,” a police source said.

Local residents said the highway stretch on which
the accident took place was
notorious for high-speed driving.

“Not many vehicles ply on the stretch that runs near the Burishola jungle. This makes drivers speed and expose themselves to such accidents. The police should take preventive measures,” said another local resident.

Accident

A 72-year-old woman was hit by a vehicle on CR Avenue in Calcutta on Sunday morning. Koushalya Devi Saraf, a resident of Jorasanko, is being treated at a private hospital in Salt Lake for multiple injuries.