Three people died in a road accident on Saturday morning near Musunda in Jamalpur, Burdwan, along National Highway 19. An ambulance returning to Durgapur after admitting a patient in a Kolkata hospital collided with a stationary truck on the side of the highway. The collision occurred around dawn, and the impact severely damaged the front portion of the ambulance.
Locals who heard the crash rushed to the scene and began rescue efforts. The victims — ambulance driver Bidhan Ruidas (35) from Joydev in Birbhum, Gautam Das (55) from North 24 Parganas, and Biswajit Choudhury (52) from Durgapur — were pulled from the vehicle and sent to Durgapur and Burdwan Medical College hospitals. Doctors declared all three dead on arrival. According to police sources, the two deceased passengers were accompanying the patient admitted earlier in Kolkata.
Police from Jamalpur station arrived at the spot and took custody of the damaged ambulance. Preliminary information suggests the ambulance hit the rear of a parked truck. The truck driver reportedly fled the location with the vehicle after the accident. No arrests had been made till the time of reporting.