5 killed as truck ploughs through roadside vendors

SHILLONG: In a grim tragedy, five persons were killed when a goods-laden lorry ploughed through a group of road-side vendors along the Shillong Bypass on Saturday morning.
Four of the victims were women who were selling their local produce when the lorry running in considerable speed first dashed against a stationary dumper and then swerved to run through the ill-fated vendors.
East Khasi Hills SP, Sylvester Nongtyngner said that the mishap occurred at around 8 am when a truck (UP51 AT 2949 ) loaded with shredded bamboo driven by an unknown person dashed against the dumper truck (ML05R 4937) and lost control before hitting the victims in the process.
The truck was proceeding from Mawryngkneng towards Guwahati and the accident occurred at Umkhen bridge , Thangshalai in Shillong Bypass. The deceased have been identified as Balarihun Kharkongor (27), Gracefully Nongbri (23), Banteibha Bina (20), Shantilang Nongbri (28) and Korbarsing Kharduid (52).
All of them are of Thangshalai Village and four of them died on the spot while one died on the way to Hospital. The driver of the truck fled away from the scene abandoning the truck and efforts were on to apprehend the driver. The truck has been seized and a case has been registered at Mawryngkneng Police Station.