15 of wedding party hurt in BT Rd accident

Kolkata: A private bus carrying a marriage party collided with a truck on BT Road at Sodepur, leaving at least 15 members of the party injured, 4 of them seriously, in the early hours on Tuesday.During the rescue operation, a clash reportedly broke out between local residents and members of the marriage party, creating tension in the area. All the injured were taken to the College of Medicine and Sagar Dutta Hospital for treatment.Locals said around 15 persons were injured when the speeding luxury bus carrying a marriage party crashed into a truck from behind on BT Road near Panihati Sporting Club More early on Tuesday morning.According to local sources, the accident took place around 5 am when the bus, heading towards Dunlop, rammed into a truck moving ahead of it. The bus was reportedly carrying around 45 members of a marriage party who were returning home after attending a wedding ceremony at Shantingar in Palta."The bus was moving at a breakneck speed. The driver apparently lost control and rammed into the truck from behind," said Subir Dey, a local trader who witnessed the aftermath of the accident.Most of the passengers were asleep when the collision occurred."It was around 5 am and most of us were sleeping inside the bus after attending a relative's wedding. Suddenly, we were jolted awake by a loud sound and a violent jerk. Many passengers screamed in pain and panic. I hit the front seat and suffered a deep injury on my forehead," said Mousumi Sengupta, a resident of Bonhooghly in Baranagar.Local residents rushed to the spot and began rescuing passengers trapped inside the damaged bus. However, during the rescue operation, an altercation allegedly broke out between some members of the marriage party and local residents after accusations of misbehaviour. The argument soon escalated into a brief clash.On receiving information, a police team from Khardah police station reached the spot and brought the situation under control.The injured passengers were rushed to the College of Medicine and Sagar Dutta Hospital in Kamarhati for treatment. Hospital sources said that 4 of the injured were still undergoing treatment and their condition was reported to be serious.Police seized both the damaged bus and the truck involved in the accident as part of the investigation. Arrangements were later made by the police to send the remaining members of the marriage party back home in another vehicle."A preliminary investigation suggests that the accident may have been caused by reckless driving along with reduced visibility during the early morning hours. A case was also registered regarding the alleged clash between the marriage party and local residents," a senior officer of the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate said.Police started an investigation into the incident.