Bilaspur, India — A devastating road accident late Thursday night on a national highway in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh claimed the lives of four people after a truck collided head-on with an SUV, police said.
The crash occurred around 2:00 a.m. on the Raipur–Ratanpur National Highway near Sambalpuri village. According to police officials, a trailer truck traveling toward Ratanpur lost control and veered onto the wrong side of the road, slamming directly into an oncoming Scorpio SUV.
The impact was so severe that the truck also struck another stationary trailer on the highway. The SUV was completely mangled, leaving all four occupants dead at the scene. One additional passenger sustained critical injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences.
Emergency teams from Sakri police station and Dial-112 rushed to the spot. Rescue workers used gas cutters for nearly two hours to extract the victims from the wreckage.
“The trailer driver has been taken into custody, and a case has been registered. The incident is under investigation,” said Vijay Chaudhary, Station House Officer of Sakri Police Station.
Victims Identified
Police identified the deceased as:
- Chhatrapal Ratre (37), resident of Kuvagaon, Takhatpur
- Vishal Lahre (25), Birgahni, Mungeli district
- Anmol Lahre (14), Birgahni, Mungeli district
- Sonu Miri (28), resident of Kota
The injured survivor, Prakash Ratre, a resident of Kuvagaon, remains in critical condition.
Returning From a Wedding
Preliminary investigations reveal that the victims were returning home after attending a family wedding. The accident occurred just a short distance from the event venue.
The tragedy has cast a pall of grief over the region, once again highlighting concerns over reckless driving and road safety on national highways.