Raipur, March 9 : Two women have been killed and 35 others injured when a pick-up truck carrying them to a marriage-related function known as “Chouthiya”, suddenly lost control and overturned near Palani Pat of Kotwali city police station area of Chhattisgarh’s Kabirdham district (erstwhile Kawardha), police said.
A chaotic scene followed as two women, Urvashi Sahu and Mukhin Sahu, lost their lives at the government hospital.
Police sources have not confirmed their age but other sources say that Urvashi was in her teens and around 14 years old.
An eight-year-old girl is said be critical and under treatment.
Of the total 35 injured, five are said to be critical.
They were taken to the hospital for urgent medical care, with the most serious cases referred to Raipur for further treatment.
According to police sources, the pick-up truck belonged to a Sahu family and it was carrying family members to a relative’s post- wedding-related functions in Sahaspur-Lohara.
According to reports, there were 100 persons in two pick-up trucks, one of which carrying 40 women overturned in a field which was 10 feet below the main road.
The family belonged to Singhanpuri village.
The critically injured women were brought to the district hospital in Kawardha.
The local people immediately informed the police. Ambulance and rescue team reached the spot and the injured are being taken to the hospital. Eyewitnesses said that the vehicle was moving at a very high speed.
As soon as Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma came to know about the accident, he directed the district administration to immediately start relief work. Many seriously injured people have also been admitted to private hospitals for treatment.
The administration has been instructed to ensure that no injured person faces any inconvenience. On the instructions of the Deputy Chief Minister, all available government and private ambulances were put into service. The families of the deceased are inconsolable.
Bhavna Bohra, a legislator from Pandaria Assembly constituency, reached the hospital and asked the doctors and officials to extend all possible support to the injured.
She later tweeted her heartfelt condolences for the deceased and assured that the health department was providing the best possible care and facilities for the injured.
In her message, she expressed, “Today, the sad news was received that the people in the pickup vehicle Mazda were injured when it overturned near Sarodha Dam near Palani Pat in Kawardha. I met the injured victims and their families, enquired about their well-being, and directed the health department to provide them proper treatment and adequate facilities. I wish for the speedy recovery of all the people injured in this tragic accident.”
–IANS