Kolkata, June 20 (UNI) Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Friday expressed deep shock over the two consecutive accidents killing 12 people in the last 24 hours and deplored the roads' condition, which according to him, led to the deaths.
"My heart goes out to the families of the victims who tragically lost their lives in the two consecutive horrific road accidents; yesterday in Bagnan in Howrah district and today at Balarampur (Purulia district)," in which altogether 12 people died and 26 others sustained injuries, Adhikari said.
" A horrific collision occurred yesterday (Wednesday) at Library More in Bagnan, Howrah, between a passenger bus and a truck. The bus overturned. Local residents initiated rescue efforts, and police arrived later. Two passengers died on the spot, and another succumbed to his injuries in a hospital. At least 26 others were seriously injured, " Adhikari said on his X handle.
On Friday morning, a road accident in Balarampur, Purulia claimed nine lives. The incident occurred at Namshol village on National Highway 18. A trailer collided head on with a Bolero vehicle and both vehicles overturned. The nine occupants of the Bolero were rushed to the Block Primary Health Centre, where doctors declared them dead. The deceased were the residents of Nimdih, Jharkhand, who were returning home after attending a wedding ceremony in Purulia.
"The loss of precious lives in these incidents is deeply painful, and I extend my heartfelt condolences to the grieving families. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured and currently undergoing treatment.," the BJP leader said.
However, these back-to-back tragedies exposed the alarming deterioration of road safety standards in West Bengal under the supervision of the West Bengal Police, which falls directly under the purview of Home Minister Mamata Banerjee, Adhikari alleged.
" The rising number of fatal accidents on the roads in the state reflects a systemic failure in traffic management and enforcement of safety regulations. While I appreciate that our Hon’ble Chief Minister Smt. MamataOfficia has turned her focus on air travel safety issues and expressing her 'expert' opinion almost every day since the Ahmedabad air crash,
"I urge her to shift some of that attention to the dire state of road safety in our state. Countless lives are being lost on West Bengal’s roads daily due to poor traffic management, inadequate road infrastructure, and lax enforcement," said the Nandigram MLA.
"It’s high time the state government prioritized improving road safety standards to prevent such tragedies," he said.
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