One killed, several injured as truck union members clash in HP

Bilaspur, Mar 5 (UNI) One person was killed and several others were injured, including 12 police men, after members of two rival truck unions clashed in Bilaspur district of the state today, police said.

SP M Chandershekar told UNI over telephone that the trouble started over the opening of a truck union office at Golthai in the district between Nangal Truck Union (NTU) and Bilaspur Truck Cooperative Society (BTCS).

He said over 500 members of the NTU attacked the members of the BTCS while they were performing puja before the opening of their office in the area.

Golthai is a fast emerging industrial area in the district and close to the Punjab border.

Mr Chandershekar said 12 police officials were injured in the incident after they intervened in the matter. SHO Puran Chand and ASI Thakur Dass were seriously injured and have been admitted to a government hospital at Bilaspur.

He said one person, was killed in the firing after the NTU members later attacked a local police station, adding that it was, however, not clear whether the deceased was killed in police firing.

The district SP said additional police forces have been rushed to the spot to control the situation, which was tense.

Unconfirmed sources said another person, identified as Charan Singh, has also been killed in the accident, while a bus and seven trucks were burnt.

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