Four farmers travelling in an e-rickshaw were killed when a truck rear-ended the three-wheeler in Malda district on Tuesday morning.

The accident occurred around 5.30am on NH12 at Shyamnagar under the jurisdiction of Gazole police station.

Sources said five marginal farmers were carrying their vegetables to a market in Gazole in the e-rickshaw when the accident occurred.

Four of them died on the spot, while Kamal Biswas, 50, suffered serious injuries.
He is under treatment at Malda Medical College and Hospital.

The deceased were Dipen Roy, 36, Suranjan Biswas, 45, Paran Biswas, 46, of Gourangapur village and Nanigopal Biswas, 50, of Kalinagar village in Gazole block.

The driver of the e-rickshaw suffered minor injuries.

Police sources said the truck had pushed the e-rickshaw ahead by another 200 metres along the highway.

Senior police officers visited the spot and said they suspected that the truck was over-speeding and the driver had lost control.

“It seems the driver had fallen asleep. We have seized the truck but the driver fled the spot. Our men are trying to trace him,” said an officer.