From Our Correspondent
NONGPOH, June 1: An empty tanker truck crashed into a house at Umran Dairy in Ri-Bhoi before plunging into the Umran River in the wee hours of Saturday. Remarkably, three individuals, including two minors, narrowly escaped the tragic incident.
According to sources, the crash occurred around 1 a.m. when the truck (AS25EC8004), was returning to Guwahati after unloading oil in Shillong.
The driver of the vehicle was reportedly under the influence of alcohol.
The truck first rammed into the kitchen of a house located along National Highway-6 before plunging into Umran River.
The house, rented by one Ibadamon Langte and owned by one D Kharthangmaw, sustained significant damage.
Miraculously, Langte and her two children, who were asleep in a bedroom adjacent to the kitchen, escaped unharmed.
Witnesses reported that the driver, whose identity remains unknown, fled the scene immediately following the crash. Villagers described the driver as visibly intoxicated at the time of the incident.
Langte and Kharthangmaw have, meanwhile, called for the truck’s owner(s) to compensate for the damage to the house and the loss of personal belongings.
Officials from Umsning Police Station are actively investigating the incident. Authorities are working to apprehend the driver, who is still at large.
Two recovery trucks were also deployed to retrieve the tanker from the river.
Meanwhile, the image of the tanker truck has gone viral on social media, with citizens humorously attributing the incident to the current heatwave, suggesting that the driver allowed his truck to “swim in the river” to cool off, dubbing it a “midnight swim”.