Tripura govt orders probe into road accident

Agartala, Nov 16 (UNI) The Tripura government has ordered a probe into the accident on National Highway 44 yesterday where at least nine people, including a woman, were killed and 29 others sustained serious injuries, State Transport Minister Manik Dey today said.

While talking to mediapersons, Mr Dey said the state government had instituted an inquiry committee, headed by Deputy Transport Commissioner Shambhu Namo, and asked them to file a complete report, including the license details of the drivers and traffic signals of the spot.

Mr Dey pointed out that recently the number of road accidents were increasing in the state and as many as 40 people had been killed in the past three months and apparent reasons were identified as rash driving and lack of traffic signals, adding that the authorities would take appropriate measures soon after getting the report from the committee.

He also admitted poor enforcement against violation of traffic rules, overloading and rash driving on National Highway and said the traffic police had sometimes been overlooking the issues.

Referring to yesterday's accident, Mr Dey said a speeding Cruiser jeep, with 18 passengers, collided head on with a Commander jeep coming to Agartala from the opposite direction and just as the two jeeps overturned in the impact of the collision, another jeep coming from the western side lost control and rammed into the mangled remains of the two vehicles.

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