Five people, including three women, were killed early Tuesday morning when a Maruti van collided head-on with a bus near Kanthalia Math at Mahishbathan, along the Krishnanagar-Karimpur state highway.
The victims were travelling from Karimpur to Krishnanagar railway station in the Maruti van, while the bus was en route to New Digha. It was driving at a high speed after picking up tourists from Nazirpur.
According to police and local sources, the accident occurred around 6.30am when the speeding Maruti van allegedly switched lanes to overtake a truck and crashed directly into the oncoming bus.
Eyewitnesses said the impact was so forceful and sudden that the bus driver was unable to stop the vehicle in time. The van was pushed backward with such momentum that it was lodged against a large tree.
“The van was probably trying to overtake a lorry at high speed and ended up in the path of the bus,” said a local resident who witnessed the crash.
“The bus was speeding and the collision became inevitable,” he added.
The van was completely mangled in the impact, killing all five occupants on the spot. Local residents, assisted by police, rushed the victims to Karimpur Rural Hospital. However, due to the severity of their injuries, they were quickly transferred to Tehatta sub-divisional Hospital, where doctors declared all five dead.
The deceased were identified as Sanjoy Sarkar, 43, a school teacher, and his mother Anima Sarkar, 70, both residents of Goas in Karimpur. The other victims were van driver Suman Sk, 28, Mamata Sarkar, 38, and Sulekha Sarkar, 35, both from Raninagar in Sagarpara, Murshidabad.
Sources said the Maruti van regularly transported passengers from Jalangi to Krishnanagar railway station, catering especially to those who preferred to avoid the more hectic bus routes.
“It appears that the Maruti van driver was speeding, possibly being chased by another bus from behind to maintain a time-bound service. But it all ended in disaster,” said Piyal Mondal, a local resident of Kanthalia Math.
The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation. The driver of the bus fled the scene and is currently absconding. “Five people died in the collision between the bus and the Maruti van. The condition of one person is critical. The cause of the accident is being investigated,” said subdivisional police officer, Tehatta, Subhatosh Sarkar.