Agartala: A lorry driver died inside his crashed cabin after remaining trapped for many hours at Tripura’s Chakmaghat on Tuesday.
The driver, identified as Mihir Lal Debnath of Kanchanpur, North Tripura, succumbed to his injuries after rescue attempts were reportedly hampered by malfunctioning equipment from the disaster management department.
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The accident occurred around 2:30 am in the Chakmaghat area when Debnath’s cement-laden lorry veered off the road and collided with a large tree. The impact severely crushed the front cabin, pinning the driver from the waist down.
According to eyewitnesses, locals quickly raised the alarm, and the fire brigade arrived within 30 minutes. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to free the trapped driver with the tools at their disposal.
The rescue team summoned help from the 12th Battalion of the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and the disaster management department, which arrived at the scene with specialized iron-cutting saws.
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However, several onlookers reported that the crucial iron-cutting equipment malfunctioned, causing the rescue operation to take a grim turn.
“They tried to start them multiple times, but none of them were operational at such a critical time,” a local resident stated. “The driver died right in front of us.”
Initially, the trapped driver was conscious and able to communicate with the rescue teams, guiding them to his position. But as the hours passed, his pleas for help grew silent.
TSR official Bikram Debbarma said the driver was responsive upon their arrival but noted that his movements eventually ceased. “It is still not clear whether he died before rescue,” Debbarma said, despite the five-hour rescue operation.
An official from the fire brigade department said that three “expert” officials from the disaster management department arrived with the specialized machines. However, the official added that the fire brigade team had been trying to rescue the driver with their “small instruments” since 3 a.m.
The alleged equipment failure and the subsequent death of Mihir Lal Debnath have led to accusations of “gross negligence” against the disaster management officials.