5 killed, 2 injured after truck falls into 150m deep gorge

Gumla: Five persons, including four women, were killed and two others were critically injured after the driver of a bauxite-laden truck lost control and the vehicle fell into a 150-metre deep gorge near Luti More in Netarhat valley under Gurdari police limits in the district on Friday morning, police said.
The deceased have been identified as Asha Thithio (22), Sarita Munda (30), Phagne Ursain (55), Lucia Munda (62) and Basant Aind (21) while the injured are Sangeeta Ursain (20) and Roshan Chorath (22). All of them were hail from Kathupani village under Gurdari police station area. The injured are currently admitted in the community health centre in Bishunpur.
Officer-in-charge of Bishunpur police station Mohan Kumar, who visited the accident site, said, “We were informed about the accident around 8.30am by a person who was passing through the same route just behind the truck. We immediately rushed to the spot and rescued Sarita Munda who was stuck under the vehicle.” He added, “When we pulled her out, Sarita was fine and was even talking to us. But later she collapsed during treatment at the community health centre.”
Speaking on the frequency of accidents of people travelling on the bauxite-laden trucks in the area, Kumar said, “Those who don't have their own vehicle usually travel on the bauxite-laden trucks from the mine areas to Bishunpur block, Ghaghra block and to Lohardaga district town on the Netarhat-Ranchi state highway.”
After the restrictions on mine operation were lifted in June as part of Unlock 1.0, mineral excavation and its transportation have resumed in the state’s richest bauxite mines on the hill tops of Netarhat plateau. Hundreds of such ore carrying trucks ply every day on the two bauxite route - Upper Pat (remote Gurdari and surrounding mines) and Serengdag mines under Ghaghra block. These trucks carry aluminium ore to Chandwa railway station yard from where it is transported to Renukoot and some other places, the locals said.