KalimNews | June 20, 2025 | Purulia | : In a tragic incident that has sparked statewide concern over road safety, nine people were killed in a horrific head-on collision between a Bolero SUV and a truck on National Highway 18 in West Bengal’s Purulia district early Friday morning. The accident occurred around 6:30 am near Namshol village, within the Balarampur Police Station limits, and claimed the lives of all nine occupants of the SUV.
According to Balarampur Police Station in-charge Soumyadeep Mallick, the SUV, which was carrying passengers returning from a wedding in Adabana village under Barabazar Police Station jurisdiction, was en route to Tilai Tand in Jharkhand’s Nimdih Police Station area when it collided with a high-speed truck coming from the opposite direction. The impact was so severe that the Bolero was mangled beyond recognition, and both vehicles reportedly overturned. Locals and emergency responders rushed to the scene, but all victims were declared dead upon arrival at a nearby primary health centre.
Eight of the deceased were identified as residents of Tilai Tand village in Lakadi under Neemdih Police Station—Biru Mahato, Ajay Mahato, Vijay Mahato, Swapan Mahato, Gurupad Mahato, Shashank Mahato, Chitta Mahato, and Krishna Mahato. The ninth victim, Chandramohan Mahato, was a resident of Raghunathpur, also in the same jurisdiction. All were reportedly returning home after attending a wedding ceremony in Purulia.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) Nirmal Das stated that a case of rash driving has been registered. The truck driver fled the scene immediately after the crash, and efforts are underway to locate him. The truck has been taken into custody, and a detailed investigation is in progress. Preliminary findings suggest overspeeding and probable negligence contributed to the accident.
The fatal crash comes just a day after another serious road accident in Howrah district, where a passenger bus operating on the Bagnan–Shyambazar route collided with a Kolaghat-bound truck. That incident, which occurred near Library More on NH-16, left three people dead and 26 others injured, again raising alarms over road safety in the state.
Reacting strongly to these back-to-back tragedies, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari took to social media platform X to express his grief and condemnation. “My heart goes out to the families of the victims who tragically lost their lives in the two consecutive horrific road accidents; yesterday in Bagnan, Howrah district, and today at Balarampur, Purulia district,” he posted.
Adhikari went on to criticize the West Bengal government, alleging a “systemic failure in traffic management and enforcement of safety regulations.” He accused the West Bengal Police—operating under the direct supervision of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee—of failing to uphold basic safety standards on the roads. “The rising number of fatal accidents on the roads of West Bengal reflects an alarming deterioration of road safety standards. While the Chief Minister has been vocal on air travel safety after the Ahmedabad air crash, she must also focus on the dire state of road infrastructure and enforcement in the state,” he wrote.
He urged the state government to take urgent action to improve road conditions and strengthen enforcement mechanisms to prevent such tragedies in the future. “Countless lives are being lost every day due to poor traffic management, inadequate infrastructure, and lax enforcement. It’s high time the government prioritizes road safety,” he added.
As the state mourns the lives lost in Friday’s devastating crash, questions loom over what steps will be taken to address the growing crisis of road safety across West Bengal.
