Jaipur: Five people were killed and two others injured in a head-on collision between an SUV and a canter truck on the Churu-Hanumangarh Mega Highway near Sardarshahar in the early hours of Wednesday.
The accident occurred at Bukansar Phanta when a Tata Safari, travelling towards Hanumangarh from Sardarshahar, collided with a canter truck. The impact completely mangled the SUV, trapping its occupants inside. Police, with assistance from locals and a crane, worked for nearly two hours to extricate the victims from the wreckage.
The injured were rushed to Sardarshahar Hospital where doctors pronounced five SUV passengers dead. The deceased were identified as Kamlesh Bhargav (26) and Rakesh Bhargav (25), both residents of Ranasar, Bikaner; Pawan (33) from Rajasar, Bikaner; and Dhanraj Kumawat from Sikar, who died at the scene. The fifth victim, Nandlal Bhargav (23) from Ridi, Dungargarh, succumbed to his injuries enroute to PBM Hospital in Bikaner. Four of the deceased belonged to the same family.
Two others, including the canter driver, were critically injured. They were identified as Kishore Singh Rajput from Ratangarh and Ramlal Bhargava from Sikar. The bodies of the deceased have been sent to mortuaries in Sardarshahar and Bikaner. Preliminary investigations suggest that speeding and a sharp curve on the highway contributed to the collision. "The Safari was travelling at high speed, and the impact completely crushed the vehicle, trapping the passengers," a police officer explained. He also noted that reduced visibility due to fog might have played a role in the accident.
Sardarshahar station officer Arvind Kumar said that the police, with the help of passersby, facilitated rescue operations and ensured the injured were transported to the hospital.