A van driver died when his vehicle was hit by a local train at an unguarded railway crossing blanketed by thick fog.

The deceased, Prashant Ghorai, 42, from Parmanandpur in East Midnapore was crossing the tracks on his van around 8.45am and couldn’t see the train — going from Howrah to Haldia — in the fog.

The accident took place between Mahishadal and Barada stations in Chandipur.

Eyewitnesses said the van was crushed by the train engine. The driver died instantly. His passenger was injured.

The train line was closed for two hours. Residents demanded a level crossing in that stretch.

3 die in 2 Alipurduar accidents

Alipurduar: Three youths died in two separate accidents in Alipurduar district in the past 24 hours.

On Tuesday, Madan Pandit, 30, and Madan Sutradhar, 32, both residents of Cooch Behar, were going to Samuktala on a motorcycle, when the bike collided head-on with an autorickshaw at Taleswarguri on the state highway that connects Samuktala with Mahakal Chowpathi.

Bystanders took the duo to the Jashodanga health centre where Sutradhar was declared dead. Pandit, referred to the district hospital, died on the way.

The autorickshaw driver fled but the vehicle was impounded.

On Monday night, Avinash Sha, 24, died on AH48 at Ethelbari, when he lost control of his bike to crash into a dump truck. None of the youths wore a helmet.

OUR CORRESPONDENT