West Bengal: Birbhum road accident claims 9 lives

At least nine persons died in a road accident in Birbhum district on Tuesday when an autorickshaw collided head-on with a bus on Raniganj-Morgram National Highway 60 near Telda village of Rampurhat Police Station in the district.

Mallarpur (West Bengal):As many as nine passengers died in a road accident at Mallarpur in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Tuesday. According to police sources, the incident took place on Raniganj-Morgram National Highway 60 near Telda village of Rampurhat Police Station in the district.

Sources in the district police said that a Mallarpur-bound autorickshaw from Rampurhat collided with a government bus head-on leaving nine dead including the driver on the spot. Among the dead, there are eight women and one man. All are believed to be day labourers, returning home from work. However, they have not been identified yet.

Police said that the women were returning home after working as agricultural labourers. Upon being informed about the incident, police and fire brigade personnel from Mallarpur and Rampurhat reached the spot and started the rescue operation.

The bodies have been sent to the Rampurhat Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem. Locals alleged that the accident took place as for a long time the road was being repaired without stopping the traffic.