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A bus carrying 43 pilgrims from the Kumbh Mela to Assam crashed into a stationary pickup van on National Highway 31, near Chepani Chowpatty in Alipurduar, around 4:30 AM. The collision was so intense that the pickup van was thrown nearly 30 feet away, and its driver sustained head injuries. Meanwhile, the bus driver and helper fled the scene after the accident.
According to Shamuktala Road Outpost police, the pickup van was parked on the roadside when the high-speed bus crashed into it. The injured pickup driver, Lakshman Pandit, said he was on his way to pick up laborers when the bus hit his vehicle from behind. "If the van hadn't taken the hit, the bus would have overturned and fallen at least 100 feet below," he said. Local residents broke the windshield to rescue him before shifting him to a hospital for treatment.
Police have launched an investigation and are searching for the missing bus driver and helper. Both vehicles have been severely damaged, and authorities are working to clear the highway. Officials are also examining whether the bus was overspeeding or if there were any technical faults.
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