Two persons died and eight suffered injuries after an SUV, which was heading to Siliguri, overturned on the bypass on NH12 in Malda on Friday morning.

Sources said the SUV was moving at a high speed when one of its rear tyres exploded.

The driver lost control and the vehicle overturned.

Local people took out the injured passengers from the SUV. They were taken to Malda Medical College and Hospital where doctors pronounced Koyel Mir (18) and driver Suvendu Chakraborty (25) dead.

Eight others are under treatment at the MMCH and one of them is reported to be critical.

All occupants of the SUV were from Omarpur in Murshidabad district. They were going to Siliguri to attend a family function, police sources said.

Englishbazar police removed the mangled SUV and cleared the road.

“The condition of the vehicle has been checked. Guardrails will be placed after every 4km along the bypass to keep the speed of vehicles under control,” said a police officer.