RAIPUR: A road accident on National Highway-130 near Gumga village in Surguja district claimed four lives on the spot, while one person was critically injured when their vehicle collided with a truck early Sunday morning.
The impact was so severe that rescue workers had to use cutting equipment to extract the occupants from the wreckage.
The lone survivor, who sustained severe injuries, was initially treated at the Community Health Centre in Udaipur, located 60 kilometres from the district headquarters of Ambikapur. He was later transferred to Ambikapur Medical College for advanced care.
“On Sunday, five individuals from Changorabhata, Raipur — Sanju, Rahul, Swapnil, Dushyant, and Dikesh — were travelling in a car to Mainpat. Around 5.30am, near the Gumga Adani Rest House, their car collided with an oncoming truck (registration number CG 07 CS 3927). Sanju, Rahul, Swapnil and Dushyant died on the spot, while Dikesh is undergoing treatment at the Ambikapur Medical College. The truck driver fled the scene, but the truck has been brought to the Udaipur police station,” said Surguja ASP Amlok Singh Dhillon.
Reports suggest that the young men left their homes on Saturday evening, informing their families that they were travelling to Jagdalpur.
However, they later changed their destination to Mainpat. Preliminary information indicates that poor visibility due to fog impaired the car driver’s ability to see the approaching truck, leading to the collision.
Upon learning about the accident, local residents and passersby gathered at the scene and alerted the police. They assisted in recovering the bodies from the vehicle.
The deceased have been identified as Rahul, Sanju, Dinesh Sahu, all residents of Changorabhata, Raipur, along with one unidentified individual.
Police are investigating the incident further and working to identify the fourth victim while also tracing the truck driver who fled the scene.
