IMPHAL, July 1 � Three villagers of Sihai Khunou village in Manipur�s Ukhrul district were killed in a road accident on Sunday.
The accident occurred when a Shaktiman truck, carrying around 40 villagers of Sihai Khullen who were on their way to attend a condolence service, reportedly failed to negotiate a turn in the hilly road and turned turtle around 11 am today.
The mishap came close on the heels of the death of three picnickers following a clash between villagers of Sihai Khullen and Lunghar villagers over an alleged land dispute.
Sources here said that the Sihai Khunou villagers died at the accident site while five seriously injured villagers have been evacuated to a private hospital at Ukhrul district headquarter.
On Saturday, three Sihao Khullen villagers were killed in a violent clash after they were reportedly attacked by Lumghar villagers armed with deadly weapons, at the base of Phangrei hill range, a popular picnic spot which is about 25 km east of Ukhrul district headquarter.
Several others from the village also sustained injury in the clash that broke out after Sihai Khullen villagers allegedly refused to pay registration fee.
For the past many years, there has been a longstanding land dispute over Phangrei hill range between the Lunghar and Sihai Khullen villagers. Phangrei peak is said to be a zero point between the two places.
