Four people were killed and two critically injured in a deadly head-on collision between a lorry and autorickshaw on the Assam–Agartala National Highway near Kumarghat, Tripura. Police are searching for the absconding lorry driver.
A tragic road accident on the Assam–Agartala National Highway in Tripura’s Unakoti district has left four people dead and two others critically injured, highlighting once again the growing dangers on one of the region’s busiest highway stretches.
The fatal collision occurred late Thursday evening near Sidongcherra under the jurisdiction of Kumarghat police station when a goods-laden lorry rammed head-on into a passenger autorickshaw. According to police and eyewitness accounts, the autorickshaw was carrying several passengers when the speeding lorry, allegedly driven recklessly, veered into its lane and struck it without warning.
The impact was devastating. The autorickshaw was completely mangled, and passengers were thrown onto the road due to the force of the collision. Panic and chaos followed as local residents rushed to the scene upon hearing the loud crash. Bystanders immediately alerted police, fire service personnel, and emergency medical teams.
The injured victims were first taken to Unakoti District Hospital in Kailashahar, where doctors declared four passengers dead on arrival. Due to the seriousness of their injuries, two survivors were later referred to Silchar Medical College and Hospital in Assam for advanced treatment.
The deceased have been identified as Bhaskar Goswami (45), the autorickshaw driver and a resident of North Pabiacherra, along with passengers Kanchana Chakma (55), Harishankar Debtata (52), and Garimili Chakma. The two critically injured survivors are Jatripathi Chakma (42) and Mayarani Debnath (55), both of whom remain under intensive medical care.
Police officials confirmed that the lorry driver fled the scene immediately after the accident, abandoning the vehicle on the highway. A manhunt has been launched to trace and arrest the absconding driver. Authorities have also seized the lorry for forensic examination as part of the investigation.
Preliminary findings suggest overspeeding and negligent driving as possible causes of the crash, though officials stated that a detailed probe is underway. Traffic on the Assam–Agartala National Highway was disrupted for several hours following the incident, causing long queues of vehicles.
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The tragedy has sparked widespread grief and anger among local residents, who have renewed demands for stricter enforcement of traffic regulations, installation of speed-monitoring systems, and increased police patrolling along accident-prone highway sections. With frequent reports of fatal crashes, the incident has once again raised serious concerns about road safety and accountability on national highways in the region.
