Five persons lost their lives and six others sustained injuries when an apple-laden Eicher truck lost control on a steep road and collided with another truck parked on the road in Premnagar near Kotkhai of Shimla district. The accident took place late on Thursday evening, about 70 km from the district headquarter.
According to the police, nine people were travelling in the truck. Four of them are among the six injured ? the other two are labourers who were loading apple boxes on to the stationary truck.
Three of the injured have been admitted to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla, while the rest have been referred to PGI in Chandigarh.
Station House Officer, Kotkhai, Neel Chand Sharma said: ?The impact of the collision was so intense that two persons sitting in the drivers cabin died on the spot. The rest were declared dead on arrival at Theog Civil Hospital and IGMC Hospital at Shimla.?
The deceased are Bakhar Singh (56), Jai Singh (22), Milkhi Singh (35), all from Kalka, driver of the truck, Ajay Kumar (20) from Rai Bareilly, and Shubham (16) of Theog in Shimla district. Shubham is the son of the truck owner.
In another accident late on Thursday night in Charu Bagh on Kharapathar road, about 9 km from Kotkhai, the driver of a truck carrying apple died on the spot. The truck went off the road after the driver, Kamlesh Kumar of Ladwalah in Palampur, lost control, said police.
Chaila accident toll touches 25
The death toll in the bus accident near Chaila touched 25 on Friday after one more person died. The accident took place at Sahani Morh on Thursday evening when the bus was coming from Shrontha in Rohru subdivision on its way to Shimla and fell into a 250 feet deep gorge. As many as 28 injured people are undergoing treatment, while one of the deceased is yet to be identified. Transport Minister Mahender Singh made a statement in the Assembly that an inquiry by the sub-divisional magistrate concerned had been ordered to find out the cause of the accident.