A devastating head-on collision between an autorickshaw and an oil tanker in Jharkhand's Sahibganj district on Friday morning resulted in the deaths of four people, including a six-year-old girl, and left five others critically injured. The incident has sparked outrage among locals who have accused the local community health centre of gross negligence.
The Fatal Collision on Barhait-Barharwa Road
The tragedy unfolded around 11 AM near Chhota Ranga Dand Pul More on the main Barhait-Barharwa road, within the Patna block under Ranga police station limits. According to sources quoting eyewitnesses, the autorickshaw was travelling from Barhait towards Dahujor Chowk in Barharwa when it collided with the tanker, which was coming from the opposite direction after unloading oil.
The impact was so severe that the autorickshaw was completely shattered, with debris scattered across the area. The other three deceased, besides the young girl, were the autorickshaw driver and two adult passengers.
Victims and Chaotic Aftermath
The deceased have been identified as Samra Soren (30) from Bada Ranga village, Randni Soren (30) from Ghatiyari, six-year-old Shanti Hembram from Dahu Jor, and the autorickshaw driver, Amal Kumar (20) from Athgama.
The injured include three minors: Sagun Hansda (8) and Neha Murmu (8) from Dahu Jor, and Baburam (8) from Athgama. The adult injured are Bhola Saha (35) from Bara Ranga and Talamay Hembram.
Locals rushed the victims to the Ranga Community Health Centre (CHC). However, the medical officer in charge, Dr Samsul Haq, declared two victims dead on arrival. The others were referred to nearby facilities for better care. One injured person received primary treatment at Chandragoda hospital in Barhait before being shifted to AIIMS, Deoghar. Others are being treated at Barharwa CHC, Chandragoda, and Barhait hospitals, with one woman at the sadar hospital.
Public Outburst and Police Intervention
Anger erupted among locals who accused the Ranga CHC staff of negligence. They alleged that the six-year-old child was declared dead without a proper examination and that a lack of timely oxygen and other facilities led to additional fatalities. In their fury, the villagers vandalised the CHC and demanded better infrastructure and the immediate dismissal of the doctor.
Barharwa SDPO Nitin Khandelwal led two police teams from Barharwa and Ranga stations to control the volatile situation. After nearly four hours of negotiations, the villagers finally handed over the bodies for post-mortem.
"We assured the family members and locals that suitable action would be taken against the hospital staff if there were any negligence in treating the accident victims," the SDPO stated, aiming to placate the agitated crowd.
The tragic Dumka accident highlights critical issues of road safety in the region and has raised serious questions about the state of emergency medical care at local health centres in Sahibganj district.
