Alipurduar, April 16 -- A private passenger bus travelling from Siliguri to Alipurduar overturned after losing control on the under-construction National Highway 31D near Baburhat, Alipurduar, on Wednesday. At least 15 people were injured in the incident. The driver of the bus is currently absconding.
According to locals, the incident occurred around 4 pm when the bus, heading from Siliguri to Samuktala, collided head-on with a motorcycle near the Sonapur Colony intersection in Baburhat. The bike rider, identified as Gauranga Roy, sustained serious injuries. As local residents attempted to stop the bus, the driver accelerated in an attempt to flee. However, he lost control of the vehicle and it overturned, plunging off the under-construction highway.
Upon receiving news of the incident, police from the Sonapur outpost rushed to the scene. With assistance from local residents, the injured were rescued and initially taken to the Pachkel Guri Primary Health Centre. Ten of the more seriously injured passengers were later transferred to Alipurduar District Hospital for further treatment. The motorcyclist, Gauranga Roy, was also transferred to Cooch Behar Medical College, where he remains in critical condition. One of the injured passengers, Anupam Chakraborty, said: "The bus driver deliberately caused the accident. I was travelling from Siliguri to Raidak when I heard a loud noise. After that, the bus sped up and the accident occurred." The bus has been seized.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.