Unakoti district continues to witness frequent road accidents, with yet another heart-rending incident claiming four lives on Friday morning. A head-on collision between a battery-operated high-speed auto-rickshaw and a 12-wheeler truck occurred at Sidangchhara area under Kumarghat, plunging the entire district into mourning.

According to reports, the accident took place around 11:30 AM when a 12-wheeler truck bearing registration number TR-01-AU-1756 collided head-on with a battery-operated electronic auto-rickshaw (TR-02-C-3991). The impact was so severe that the auto driver Bhaskar Goswami (45), a resident of North Pabiachhara, died on the spot.

Three passengers — Kanchana Chakma (55), Harishankar Debbarma (52), and Garimili Chakma, all residents of different areas of Machli — also sustained critical injuries. Two more passengers, Jatrayapathi Chakma (42) of Machli and Mayarani Debnath (55) of Pecharthal, were seriously injured in the mishap.

All the injured were initially rushed to Kumarghat Sub-Divisional Hospital. Dr. Prasenjit Das informed that due to their critical condition, four of the injured were referred to Unakoti District Hospital. Later, two more victims succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment at the district hospital, taking the death toll to four. One critically injured patient has been referred to Agartala’s G.B. Hospital for advanced treatment, while another is currently undergoing treatment at Unakoti District Hospital.

Local residents alleged that the truck driver fled the scene immediately after the accident. Police reached the spot promptly, initiated an investigation, and have launched a search operation to trace the absconding driver.

Meanwhile, MLA and former Minister Bhagaban Das expressed deep grief over the tragic incident in a Facebook post. He stated that the accident resulted in the untimely death of three people and left several others critically injured, with two referred to G.B. Hospital in Agartala. He conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured, praying for strength and courage for all affected during this difficult time.

The incident once again raises serious concerns over road safety in the Unakoti district, where fatal accidents have become an alarming daily occurrence.