A five-year-old girl, her mother and another woman were killed in Bhatshala village of Murshidabad’s Domkal on Monday when the e-rickshaw they were on collided with a bus carrying some 40 BJP workers returning to their village from Sunday’s Brigade rally.
Police said that the deceased were identified as Kalpana Biwi, 35, her daughter Armina Khatun, 5, and neighbour Sharifa Biwi, 40. Kalpana is a resident of Garaimari village and Sharifa is from adjoining Sahdiar village.
Four other occupants of the e-rickshaw, including the driver, were also injured in the mishap.
Two among them, whose condition was deemed to be more critical than the others, were rushed to the Murshidabad Medical College and
Hospital. The two others were admitted to a hospital in Domkal.
An eyewitness said that on Sunday a bus from Domkal had gone to Calcutta carrying around 40 BJP workers to attend the rally addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Brigade Parade Grounds.
On Monday, the same bus was returning to Garaimari village with the BJP workers when the accident took place around 10am.
“Seven persons, including the driver, were in the e-rickshaw that was heading towards the Domkal market. When the bus hit the e-rickshaw, it overturned and the three passengers died on the spot,” a local trader said.
“We have seized the bus but its driver managed to flee,” a police officer said.
After the accident, the BJP workers had to deboard from the bus and walk around 5km to reach their village Garaimari.