Patna, Jan 19 (IANS) Three people were killed in a horrific road accident in Bihar’s Kishanganj district on Monday.

According to the police, a truck and a dumper collided head-on on National Highway-327E under the Thakurganj police station area, following which both vehicles caught fire, leading to a tragic loss of lives.

The collision was so severe that flames engulfed both vehicles immediately after impact.

Eyewitnesses said the fire rose several feet high, triggering panic and chaos at the scene.

Traffic on the highway came to a complete standstill for some time due to the blaze.

Upon receiving information, teams from the Thakurganj police station and the fire department rushed to the spot.

Firefighters managed to control the blaze after considerable effort. However, by the time the fire was extinguished, three people—two drivers and one helper—had died after being trapped inside the burning vehicles.

The bodies have been taken into police custody and sent to Sadar Hospital, Kishanganj, for post-mortem examination.

So far, only one deceased has been identified as Dharmendra Kumar, a resident of Motihari district.

The identities of the dumper driver and the helper are yet to be ascertained.

Police said efforts are underway to identify them and inform their families.

Meanwhile, Sahil Alam, the truck helper and also a resident of Motihari, sustained injuries in the accident and is currently undergoing treatment.

Preliminary investigation suggests that overspeeding and negligence may have caused the accident.

Confirming the accident, SDPO-2 Manglesh Kumar Singh said, “The truck loaded with rice was travelling from Motihari to Guwahati. The dumper, carrying boulders, was coming from Siliguri via Thakurganj towards Pauakhali. A head-on collision occurred between the two vehicles, leading to the fire.”

Police have initiated a detailed investigation into the incident.

The police said that both vehicles were removed from the road and traffic movement was restored.

The dead bodies were recovered and sent for the post-mortem.

–IANS

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