Event dated June 21, 2026
Six people were killed and 29 others injured when a state-operated bus struck a stationary truck in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, according to police information reported by The New Indian Express. The collision happened at about 11:30 a.m. on National Highway 27 near Ulladabri.
The North Bengal State Transport Corporation bus was travelling from Maynaguri to Domohani when it hit the rear of a truck parked beside the road. The impact badly damaged the front of the bus and left several passengers trapped inside. Police officers and local residents worked to remove those unable to leave the vehicle without assistance. The damage and entrapment made the rescue a joint effort involving both official responders and people at the scene, although the initial account did not specify how many passengers had to be freed or how long the operation lasted.
The six people who died included a woman and her 18-month-old son. Authorities identified them as Pampa Saha of Siliguri and her son Bibek, Jamuna Roy and Sajal Sarkar of Maynaguri, and Shubhankar Sil of Cooch Behar. The sixth victim had not been identified in the account available after the crash.
A senior police officer said one person was declared dead after being taken from the scene to Maynaguri Rural Hospital. Five other passengers later died from their injuries at Jalpaiguri Government Medical College and Hospital. All 29 injured passengers were admitted to the same medical college hospital for treatment. Police described the injured group as 15 men, 12 women and two children.
Investigators had not established a definitive cause. Jalpaiguri Superintendent of Police Sujata Kumari Beena Pani said preliminary findings indicated that adverse weather and a slippery road might have contributed. Another senior officer stressed that a detailed investigation would be needed before the cause could be determined. That left the weather assessment as an early investigative indication rather than a final finding about responsibility for the collision.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari expressed condolences and announced financial assistance following the collision. The state government said it would cover treatment expenses and provide 500,000 rupees to the next of kin of each person killed. It also announced payments of 100,000 rupees for each person with serious injuries and 50,000 rupees for those whose injuries were classed as minor. The three-level payment schedule depended on whether an injury was assessed as serious or minor, while medical costs for those receiving treatment were to be borne separately by the government.
The reported sequence left investigators examining why the bus hit the parked vehicle while medical teams treated survivors. The initial account did not provide a condition update for individual patients or say when the highway was fully cleared. The casualty figures therefore reflect the information released on the event date.
