Bhai Phonta tragedy: Three friends killed as bike collides with pickup van in Bengal
Kolkata: Three youths were killed on the morning of Bhai Phonta after the motorcycle they were travelling on collided head-on with a chicken-laden pickup van in Mathabhanga town of West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district, the police said on Wednesday.
The tragic accident, which took place on the Mathabhanga-Maynaguri state highway, plunged the area into mourning on the festive occasion.
The deceased have been identified as Shubhajit Sarkar, Sanjay Rabidas and Niladri Shekhar Roy, all aged between 25 and 26. While Shubhajit and Niladri lived in wards 9 and 10 of Mathabhanga, respectively, Sanjay was a resident of Dakshin Pachagar area.
According to their families, the three friends had gone out on a motorcycle on Tuesday night to visit Kali Puja pandals. They had travelled to Dhupguri in the district and were returning home on Wednesday morning when the accident occurred.
The motorcycle collided with a pickup van coming from the opposite direction near a petrol pump under Shikarpur Gram Panchayat in Block I of Mathabhanga. The impact was so severe that all three riders were flung several metres away.
Hearing the crash, local residents rushed to the spot and rescued the three youths and the pickup van driver. They were taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared all three motorcycle riders dead. The van driver, who sustained injuries, is undergoing treatment.
The police were informed immediately and reached the accident site. They recovered the damaged motorcycle and the pickup van, which were taken to the local police station for examination.
The news of the deaths triggered grief in the neighbourhood, particularly as the three young men had set out to celebrate Kali Puja with their friends.
The police have launched an investigation to establish the exact circumstances leading to the collision and whether overspeeding was responsible.
“The bodies have been sent for autopsy. The families of the deceased have been contacted. The investigation is underway,” a senior officer of the Cooch Behar district police said.