Van hits schoolgirl, mob goes berserk

BARRACKPORE: A Matador van was set on fire by a mob after it hit a 13-year-old schoolgirl, critically injuring her near her school on SN Banerjee Road at Barrackpore Chiriamore, North-24 Parganas on Saturday afternoon. A large contingent of police was been deployed to control the situation. A fire engine was sent to the spot to douse the flames.
Police said the incident took place around 2.45 pm when Pema Tamang, a class VII student of Barrackpore Wesley Hindustani High School, was returning home after school.While she was crossing the road, the driver of a speeding van lost control and hit the girl. Pema fell on the road and received deep injuries in the feet and face. Some of her teeth also broke. Locals rushed to the spot and she was taken to Barrackpore BN Bose Hospital. The driver and helper of the van managed to flee, leaving the vehicle behind. As news of the accident spread, a mob gathered at the spot and set the killer van on fire.
Locals blamed the accident on lack of traffic policing at the busy crossing. This, they said, had led to a spurt in fatal accidents in the area. "The Chiriamore crossing has been an accident-prone area for quite some time. Yet, the police appear indifferent… We have submitted a number of memoranda on this to the district police headquarters but nothing has been done," said Susanta Ghosh, a resident. Locals also alleged that vehicles are driven recklessly from Barrackpore station to Chiriamore as there are no speed-breakers on the road. "The matador van was at break-neck speed and hit the girl," an eyewitness said.