Kolkata: Four people were killed in a horrific road accident on the National High number 116 at Tamluk in East Midnapore district of West Bengal.
A person, injured in the Saturday night accident was receiving treatment at a local hospital.
Of the four deceased, three were identified as Prashanta Roy, Rajendra Samanta and Bhaskar Modok.
The fourth victim, a woman, was yet to be identified.
Eyewitnesses said that a speedily driven four-wheeler collided head-on with another vehicle coming from the opposite direction.
Because of the collision, the driver of the vehicle lost control, and after hitting three cyclists passing through the same lane, fell into a canal adjacent to the national highway.
Two cyclists, Roy and Samanta and the driver of the four-wheeler Modok died on the spot. The deceased woman was the occupant of the same four-wheeler. The third cyclist, whose identity too has not surfaced as yet, is under treatment now.
The two cyclists who had been killed in the accident are residents of Bhandarberia in Tamluk of East Midnapore district. The deceased driver is a resident of Ghatal in the adjacent West Midnapore district.
Initially, the local people rushed to the spot and started the rescue operations. However, later a huge police contingent from the local police station reached the spot and joined hands in the rescue operations.
The bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem. The family members of those deceased persons who have been identified have been informed.
Eyewitnesses said that the bodies of the deceased driver and the woman passenger were trapped and the cops had a tough time pulling out the bodies from the vehicle.
–IANS