Evil forces and not lax policing are responsible for fatal road accidents, people in Hazaribagh have started saying, more so after a speeding truck on Wednesday crushed to death two sisters near the 150-year-old Konar Bridge.

Several “unusual accidents on this haunted stretch” between Ichak and Konar bridge, loosely called NH-33 but officially part of state highway No. 27, have occurred over the years, providing grist to superstition mills.

If some believe ghosts cause accidents, others feel that evil forces take drivers under their sway.

In the Black Wednesday mishap, Aashi Raj (5) and Priya Raj (3) came under the wheels of a truck near Konar bridge, leaving Mukundgunj couple Mithilesh Kumar Prajapati and Sarita childless.

In July 2012, an MCA student of VBU and two college students were killed on the stretch. Two years ago, a tree fell on a moving car, killing four of a family. In a bizarre mishap in 2009, a truck driver, sleeping inside his parked vehicle, died when a part of a tyre of a moving truck burst and hit his head.

An engineer with the road construction department told The Telegraph said a new bridge would be constructed to replace the creaky old Konar Bridge for which Rs 8 crore had been sanctioned. “Once that is done, accidents will definitely come down,” he said.

The bridge, when it comes up, will be no consolation for bereaved couple Mithilesh and Sarita. Their relatives are accusing the bhutiya pul (haunted bridge) for the accident.