Kolkata

Three people were killed on Saturday after being struck by a pickup van in Malda district, West Bengal. The incident occurred in Tulshihata when the van hit five pedestrians walking on the road. The victims, identified as Suresh Khaitan (60), Fekonlal Ram (60), and Dilip Saha (49), were thrown off due to the force of the collision. Khaitan, a medical practitioner, was among the deceased.

The driver of the pickup van, Md Helal (40), lost control after the impact and crashed into a tree, sustaining injuries. Two other pedestrians, Sraboni Saha (40) and Shankar Karmakar (43), were severely injured and are being treated at Chanchal Super-specialty Hospital.

Local residents complained about the reckless driving of goods vehicles, particularly pickup vans, which often speed without regard for traffic rules. The police have sent the bodies for post-mortem and are investigating the accident.