Three persons were killed in a road accident in East Midnapore's Kolaghat on Wednesday morning.

The accident took place at a traffic signal at Haldia More on NH41.

Eyewitnesses said as the signal had turned green around 11am, a motorcyclist with a woman and an infant as pillion riders tried to take a sharp right turn cutting across the path of a government bus.

As the motorcycle got stuck in loose soil, the biker lost control of the vehicle and fell in the path of the moving bus.

"The bus and the bike accelerated as soon as the signal turned green. Although, as the bike swerved, it fell and the three were run over," said an eyewitness. He added that the biker along with the woman and infant had died instantly.

The deceased were Sudeep Kalsa, 27, his wife Mamata, 23 and their daughter Payal. They were residents of Hogalbari village in Tamluk police station.

Sudeep was returning home with his wife and daughter from his father-in-law's house at Balichak in West Midnapore.

Eyewitness Ramhari Jana said Sudeep was waiting at the signal near Haldia More in Kolaghat.

Sudeep had left the metal road and as the signal turned green he tried to get back on it. In the process, the motorbike's rear wheel got stuck on the loose soil as he tried to get back on the metal road fast.

"The front wheel of the bike got stuck in the soil when it tried to turn right fast. The bike lost control and fell on the road. At that very instant, a passenger bus came from behind and crushed the three," he said.

Tamluk divisional police officer Saquib Ahmed said the bodies had been sent to Tamralipta district hospital for post-mortem.