Kolkata, June 20
Nine people, all from Jharkhand, were killed in a horrific road accident in Purulia district of West Bengal on Friday morning.
The accident took place after the passenger vehicle in which the nine passengers were travelling had a head-on collision with a trailer-truck coming from the opposite direction.
The mishap took place on the Purulia-Jamshedpur National Highway Number 18.
It is learnt that the nine people, all residents of Jharkhand, came by that passenger vehicle to Barabazar area in Purulia district of West Bengal to attend a marriage function on Thursday.
On Friday morning they were heading back to their residence at Nimdih in Jharkhand.
As the vehicle reached the National Highway under Balarampur Police station in Purulia, it had a head-on collision with the truck coming from the opposite direction.
According to eyewitnesses, the impact of the collision was such that the passenger vehicle, especially its front end, crumpled completely and some of the passengers got trapped inside.
Villagers immediately came forward to help and started the initial rescue operation. They even managed to bring out the bodies of the passengers who were trapped inside the vehicle.
Later a huge police contingent from the local police station joined the rescue effort.
The nine passengers were promptly shifted to the local Primary Health Centre and all of them were declared dead there by the doctor. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem purposes.