Three friends were killed and a pickup-van driver was critically injured after their motorcycle collided head-on with a chicken-laden pickup van on the Mathabhanga–Mainaguri State Highway in Cooch Behar district, West Bengal. The crash took place near a petrol pump in the Shikarpur gram panchayat area of Mathabhanga-I block while the friends were returning home after travelling to see Kali Puja idols.
The deceased have been identified as Shubhajit Sarkar, Sanjay Ravidas and Niladri Shekhar Ray. According to the report, the three had left on a motorcycle for the Dhupguri area on Tuesday night. They spent the night visiting Kali Puja installations and were returning in the early morning when the motorcycle and the pickup van collided.
The impact threw all three motorcyclists onto the road. The pickup van was carrying chickens at the time of the crash. The three friends and the van driver, identified as Gopal Ray, were taken to hospital in critical condition after the collision.
Doctors declared Shubhajit, Sanjay and Niladri dead. Gopal Ray suffered serious injuries and was referred to Jalpaiguri for further treatment. His condition was reported to be critical.
The crash occurred in the vicinity of a petrol pump along the Mathabhanga–Mainaguri route. Police reached the site after receiving information about the accident and began examining how the collision took place. The pickup van has been seized as part of the inquiry.
Shubhajit and Niladri were residents of Wards 9 and 10 of Mathabhanga, while Sanjay lived in the South Pachagarh area. News of the deaths brought grief to the surrounding localities, according to the report.
The police investigation is expected to establish the circumstances of the head-on collision. No further details about the cause of the crash or any action against the driver were provided in the supplied report.
