RAIPUR: Two women died on the spot and 37 villagers were injured after a pickup vehicle carrying more than 40 people overturned in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district on Tuesday morning. The immediate cause of accident indicated towards overload of people on a pick-up vehicle.The villagers were returning Sirsiguda after attending a wedding in Orchha village when the driver lost control of the vehicle. The speeding pickup overturned on the road, throwing passengers in different directions in Lohandiguda region. The impact triggered panic and cries for help, drawing nearby villagers to the spot. They rushed to pull out the injured before police and ambulance teams arrived.The two deceased women were identified as Sulo Mandavi, 45, and Mitko Mandavi, 50. Preliminary inquiry suggests overloading and loss of balance may have contributed to the crash, though the exact cause is yet to be established. Police have registered a case of accidental death and started an investigation.The mishap comes barely a day after 10 people were killed in separate road accidents in Surguja and Janjgir Champa districts. The back-to-back crashes have raised concerns over the dangerous practice of ferrying large groups of villagers in goods vehicles. Police said, since the wedding season is on and villagers plying from remote places to reach nearby villages choose pick-up vehicles or tractors, they should avoid such risky travels. Police warned if any such overcrowded vehicles are spotted on road, people will be immediately asked to deboard and action would be taken against the driver.
