GUWAHATI, Feb 17 � Two persons were killed while another sustained serious injuries when a speeding Santro car (AS-01-Q-5889) ran over a cycle rickshaw van near the Army camp at Bhutnath area around 8:45 am today.
Those killed in the incident include the rickshaw puller.
Agitated onlookers following the accident damaged the car and later set the vehicle on fire. One of the dead has been identified as Arbind Shah (38), while the other dead is yet to be identified.
While Arbind Shah died on the spot, the other succumbed to his injuries at the GMCH, police said. Kishore Kumar Yadav, who also sustained injuries in the incident, has being shifted to the GMCH.
Though police rushed to the spot immediately, it failed to prevent the public from setting the vehicle ablaze.
�Though a couple of traffic personnel were seen on the spot, their number was too little to control the agitated crowd,� an eye-witness said.
This also led to traffic snarls for over an hour in the area and commuters, especially office goers had a harrowing time in reaching their respective destinations.
Police said that the incident took place when the driver of the speeding vehicle coming from Maligaon side lost his control and hit three persons including the handcart puller.
The condition of the injured is stated to be critical. Dr Mahesh Chandra Bhuyan, owner of the car, was in the car when the incident took place.
�Ratul Das, driver of the Santro car was arrested and during preliminary questioning he stated that he was driving the car at a fair speed and it was only when the handcart puller suddenly came in front of the vehicle that the incident happened,� police said, adding that investigation is on to unearth the fact.
Meanwhile, two other accidents were reported in Khanapara and Amingaon areas.
In the Khanapara incident, 15 persons were injured when a city bus (AS OI C 4560) hit the divider near Khanapara area around 11:30 am. In the other incident, a truck hit a four wheeler a few minutes later leading to the injury of one Rockybul Ali in Amingaon area.
