Two killed after pickup van collides with stationary truck in Hazaribag

Chatra: Two women labourers died and seven others were injured when a pickup van collided with a stationary truck at Pipcho village of Daru block in Hazaribag district early Thursday morning.
The victims, all residents of Chitramo village in Vishnugarh block, were returning home from a construction site near Carmel Chowk in Hazaribag city. The pickup van crashed into a broken-down truck parked on the roadside, resulting in a severe damage to the vehicle's front section.
The deceased were identified as Lalita Kumari and Mani Kumari, both in their forties. Among the seven injured, Sangeeta Kumari's condition was critical, necessitating her transfer to Rims, Ranchi. The other passengers were Surajmuni Devi, Naresh Marandi, Aarti Kumari, Bahamuni Devi, driver Sahdev Marandi, and Dashmi Devi.
According to the driver, he lost control when he was temporarily blinded by the headlights of an oncoming vehicle, causing the collision. The impact was so severe that rescue operations required an earth mover to separate the vehicles and extract the trapped passengers.
Daru police station officer in-charge Safiq Khan confirmed that immediate rescue operations were launched, and all victims were rushed to Sadar Hospital. Medical staff pronounced Mani Kumari and Lalita Kumari dead upon arrival, while three others remain in critical condition.
Hazaribag MP Manish Jaiswal responded promptly to the incident, dispatching his media representative Ranjan Chaudhary to the hospital to ensure proper assistance for the injured. The MP expressed his condolences and prayed for the speedy recovery of the survivors.
Local residents Krishna Sao, Nandan Prajapati, Pappu Prajapati, Santosh Prajapati, and Chhoti Prajapati assisted the police in rescue efforts. The bodies were taken to Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College Hospital for post-mortem before being released to their families.
Police have initiated an investigation into the circumstances leading to the accident, including the truck's breakdown and its positioning on the highway.