Katihar/ Patna: Eight people were killed and two seriously injured in a tragic road accident in Bihar’s Katihar district late on Monday night. The incident occurred near Chandpur Hanuman temple on State Highway 77 in the Pothia police station area, when a Scorpio SUV carrying wedding guests collided head-on with a tractor loaded with maize.
According to Katihar Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Sharma, the accident took place in Sameli block and claimed the lives of all eight victims on the spot. Two others travelling in the vehicle sustained serious injuries and were initially taken to the Community Health Centre in Sameli, before being referred to a higher medical facility due to their critical condition.
Eyewitness Manoj Kumar Mandal, a representative of the Falka District Council, said the Scorpio was en route from Dhibra Bazaar in Purnia to Koshkipur for a wedding ceremony in Kursela. He added that the vehicle reportedly lost balance after encountering a pile of maize at Chandpur Chowk and rammed into an oncoming tractor.
DIG Pramod Kumar Mandal also confirmed the fatalities, noting that official identification of the deceased is ongoing. The two injured individuals have been named as Uday Kumar (25), son of Ravindra Mandal, and Abhishek Kumar (26), son of Siklal Mandal.
Following the incident, police from the Pothia station and hospital security teams were deployed to manage the situation. SDPO Dharmendra Kumar confirmed that efforts are underway to ascertain the identities of the deceased and support their families.
Local authorities have urged caution on poorly lit highways and stressed the need for better regulation of heavy agricultural transport vehicles at night.
