A 55-year-old man and his granddaughter died in a road accident on the Jalpaiguri-Siliguri Road on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri town on Saturday.
Sources said the victim, Suku Pal, went to his daughter’s place at Panga Battala near Jalpaiguri town, driving his own e-rickshaw. From there, he picked up his two-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter, Radhika Roy, planning to celebrate Holi with her at his home in Panpara, ward 16 of Jalpaiguri town.
While they were on their way to Pal’s house, the e-rickshaw collided head-on with a goods vehicle at Jha Bari More.
The e-rickshaw got severely damaged in the impact. The other vehicle fled the spot.
Locals rescued Pal and his granddaughter and rushed them to the Jalpaiguri Government Medical College & Hospital.
However, doctors on duty pronounced them dead.
As the news of the deaths spread, a section of local residents blocked the road at the accident spot around 2.30pm, alleging that traffic police should have been able to prevent the accident.
Police from the Kotwali police station reached the spot and cleared the road after an hour.
Police have registered a case and are in search of the other vehicle.