In a tragic incident, at least seven people died after a pick-up van overloaded with labourers overturned on Thursday. The mishap took place at Lakdacocha Mode on the Hata-Chaibasa Road under Rajnagar Police station, in the adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district about 30 km away from here.
According to the eye-witnesses, the van carrying at least 20 labourers overturned as the driver lost control of it while going towards Jamshedpur from Chaibasa. All the injured persons were rushed to the Rajnagar Community Health Center, from where they were referred to Jamshedpur for treatment.
Seven labourers, including a woman, lost their lives and at least a dozen others sustained injuries in the mishap.
Police said that the incident took place on the Rajnagar-Chaibasa road. Nearly 20 workers were travelling in the pick-up van which was travelling to Rajnagar from Chaibasa. The vehicle overturned at Khairbani village. Among the injured, eight were stated to be critical and had been sent to Jamshedpur after being provided first aid at Rajnagar community health care centre. Relief and rescue measures are still on.
Three labourers were killed and eight others were seriously injured as the pick-up van they were travelling in overturned at Rajnagar on Hata-Chaibasa Road in the adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district about 30 km away from here on Thursday morning. Those killed include a woman labourer and the injured also include three women.
All the injured have been taken to the MGM medical college hospital where the condition of one of them is said to be critical.
The victims were daily wagers and were stuffed into the pick-up van like cotton sacks while being carried to a building construction site for roof-concreting work.
OC, Rajnagar police station, Chandan Kumar said there were 20 labourers in the pick-up van which was coming from the Chaibasa end and the mishap took place at Lakdacocha Mode.
“We are investigating the incident and as per our understanding when the driver wanted to press the brake while negotiating at the Lakdakocha turning, the driver failed to press the brake as it was tangled with some of the lunch tiffins kept there. This led to the mishap, the speeding vehicle overturned there, causing the casualties,” explained Kumar.
The OC said the police are yet to know the names and whereabouts of the mishap victims as their focus is on to provide medical relief to the injured.