5 killed after speeding truck rams into them in Jharkhand’s Hazaribag

Four people were killed on the spot on the Ranchi-Hazaribag highway and one died in the hospital during treatment.

Five people were crushed to death and two others were seriously injured after a speeding truck loaded with goods lost control and rammed into them along a highway in Jharkhand’s Hazaribag district on Sunday morning, police said.

The truck’s driver and helper were also seriously injured in the accident and they are undergoing treatment in the hospital. (File photo)

Four people were killed on the spot on the Ranchi-Hazaribag highway and one died in the hospital during treatment. The dead have been identified as Dilip Kumar, Janki Prajapati, Rajendra Prajapati and Baiju Thakur.

The truck’s driver and helper were also seriously injured in the accident and they are undergoing treatment in the hospital.

Om Prakash, the sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Vishnugarh, said the accident took place under Charhi police station near Ghato More around 7am.

“The goods vehicles are running at high speed taking advantage of the lockdown. The lorry was also at high speed,” Prakash said.

“The driver suddenly saw another truck coming from the front near Ghato More. In a bid to avert an accident, the driver lost control over the vehicle and it rammed into the people standing on the roadside,” he added.

He said the truck was coming from Rajasthan and was on its way to Ranchi.

“We have not checked yet what kinds of goods are there in the lorry,” he said.

Sources said people had gathered near Ghato More for their morning tea and to read the newspaper. Police had earlier asked them to vacate the place in a bid to maintain the Covid-19 lockdown rules.

However, they gathered again at the spot after the police left.