CRPF trooper killed, 16 hurt in road accident

KOLKATA - A paramilitary trooper posted in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district was killed and 16 others were injured after the vehicle in which they were travelling turned turtle Saturday, police said.

“The accident occurred around 1 p.m. when the personnel of the 169 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were returning to their base camp at Neguria village after conducting routine raids in Belpahari area of the district,” said Additional Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) of West Midnapore Santosh Pandey said.

The vehicle developed a mechanical snag and the driver lost control on the Belpahari-Baspahari road.

“All the 17 security personnel on board fell down. A constable, C.L. Burman, died on the spot and the others sustained injuries,” said Deputy Inspector General of CRPF Deepak Tushar Banerjee, who is supervising the joint forces operation in the Maoist-hit district.

The injured were rushed to nearby Jhargram sub-divisional hospital. Three of them were stated to be critical and were later shifted to Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, Banerjee said.

An inquiry committee has been set up to ascertain the causes of the accident.