Two women of the same family died, while another was critically injured after being hit by a private bus in front of Shitgram High School on NH12 in Raiganj, North Dinajpur, on Monday afternoon.

The trio, residents of Monidanga village, were standing near Shitgram High School when a speeding private bus rammed into them and attempted to flee the scene immediately.

Angry bystanders chased the bus, intercepted it near the toll plaza and vandalised the vehicle. The driver, however, managed to escape.

Following the accident, locals blocked the national highway, demanding proper traffic control in the accident-prone zone.

A team from Raiganj police station arrived and brought the situation under
control.

According to a police source, the deceased are Marijan Khatun, 77, and Marjina Khatun, 42. Reza Khatun, 45, is being treated at Raiganj Government Medical College & Hospital.

The residents then staged a road blockade for around
30 minutes.

“The private bus was moving at a high speed. It suddenly hit the women and sped away. Two of them died on the spot, while the third was taken to the medical college,” said Rafiq Azam,
an eyewitness.

Locals complained that accidents frequently occurred in this area, but no traffic control measures have been implemented.

Ektikar Ali, deputy head of the local panchayat, said: “This section of the national highway was not built according to proper specifications. There is no service road or designated bus stop here. We are demanding the immediate construction of a service road and bus stop to prevent further accidents.”

The police are looking for the driver.

Trucks collide, 2 dead

Two persons were killed in an accident early on Monday when a dump truck collided head-on with a mini truck on the NH12 bypass in Malda.

Mangesh Subba, the deputy superintendent of police (traffic) of Malda, said the driver of the mini truck, Sultan Mandal, and the passenger, Abbas Sheikh, were declared dead by doctors.

The 26-year-old duo were residents of Gopalnagar in North 24 Parganas.

A police source said the dump truck was reportedly speeding towards Gazole along the wrong lane when it crashed into the approaching mini truck. The impact was severe, leaving both occupants of the smaller vehicle
fatally injured.

The dumper has been seized, but its driver fled the scene after the accident.

The police are searching for him.