Another horrific road accident on National Highway 19! The accident occurred on Monday afternoon at the Bashkopa toll plaza under Kanksa police station in Durgapur, West Burdwan district. Intense tension spread across the entire area due to a chain collision involving three consecutive vehicles. The national highway area narrowly escaped a major gas-cylinder explosion. Several people, including the drivers and helpers of the three vehicles, were critically injured in this tragic incident.
According to eyewitnesses and police sources, a container was speeding towards Kolkata from Asansol on Monday afternoon. Upon reaching the Bashkopa toll plaza, the driver suddenly lost control of the vehicle. Losing control, the heavy container rammed at high speed into the rear of a pickup van ahead of it. The impact of the collision was so severe that the pickup van lost control, climbed straight onto the divider, and bounced into the opposite lane. At that exact moment, a liquid gas-loaded tanker coming from the opposite direction, i.e., heading from Haldia to Gorakhpur, arrived, and the pickup van violently crashed into that tanker.
The entire toll plaza area trembled with the loud noise of three consecutive vehicle collisions. The vehicles were mangled beyond recognition at the scene. As a result, the drivers and helpers got trapped inside the vehicles. Extreme panic spread among the toll plaza employees and local residents due to the suddenness of the incident. Upon receiving the news, a large police force from Kanksa police station and Kanksa traffic guard swiftly rushed to the spot. The fire department and national highway authorities were also informed.
Police and locals lent a hand in the rescue operation, pulled out the bleeding drivers and helpers, and admitted them to a local hospital in Durgapur for treatment. Upon receiving news of the accident, the ACP of Kanksa traffic guard hurried to the spot. Additionally, a fire tender quickly arrived at the accident site to handle the situation. The most alarming matter was that the tanker coming from the opposite lane was completely filled with gas. Intense panic arose over whether a major explosion would occur due to gas leaking from the tanker as a result of the impact. However, due to the prompt and proactive measures of the fire personnel and the police, a major disaster was averted without any casualties.
Due to the accident, severe traffic congestion was created in the area adjacent to the Bashkopa toll plaza on National Highway 19. Numerous vehicles heading towards Kolkata and Asansol came to a standstill. To bring the situation under control, the police quickly brought in a crane. With the help of the crane, the damaged and mangled vehicles were removed from the road, and traffic movement on the national highway was restored to normal. Kanksa police station has seized all three accident-involved vehicles. The police have initiated an investigation into the incident to find out whether there was a mechanical fault in the container or if the driver was driving recklessly.
