Truck mows down 6 in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur; driver escapes

A truck rammed into their houses at Sahdani village situated on Muzaffarpur-Reva NH-722 under Saraiya police station of Muzaffarpur late on Thursday

Six persons, including five children from three families, were killed and three other sustained injuries when a truck rammed into their houses at Sahdani village of Bihar on Muzaffarpur-Reva National Highway-722 late on Thursday. Irate villagers and panchayat representatives blocked the NH for over three hours on Friday and demanded compensation for the families of the deceased.

Representational Image. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The incident occurred around 9.35pm when the children were studying in their verandah. A speeding truck from Muzaffarpur on its way to Saran rammed into the houses of Rambabu Prasad, Lakshu Paswan and Chandan Paswan before hitting an electric pole. While four children died on the spot, 45-year-old Machhu Paswan succumbed to his injuries on way to the hospital, and another child died during treatment. Two of the injured minors are said to be critical and are undergoing treatment in hospital. The truck driver managed to flee from the spot.

Police said Lakshu lost a son and daughter, while his other daughter is in a critical condition.

Muzaffarpur DM Pranav Kumar said,“The accused driver was speeding… CCTVs are being checked… investigation is on.”

Following the incident, angry villagers created a ruckus and vandalised some vehicles on the road. The violence continued for several hours before additional forces were rushed in.

Police said the crowd was demanding compensation for the aggrieved families, adding that the protesters burnt tyres and shouted slogans against the administration. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded as police tried to pacify them. Efforts are on to catch the truck driver, an officer said.