IN a tragic road accident on Sunday morning near Gumga village on the Ambikapur-Bilaspur National Highway, four youths travelling in a car lost their lives. The victims, residents of Changorabhata in Raipur, were identified as Dushyant, Rahul, Sanjeev and Swapnil, all aged between 25 and 30. The fifth youth, Dikesh, was critically injured and is currently receiving treatment at Ambikapur Medical College. The group, traveling in a Skoda Rapid car, was reportedly en route to Mainpat. Initial reports suggest that while the three identified youths had informed their families they were heading to Jagdalpur, they later picked up two others along the way.

 

Near Gumga, before reaching Udaipur, the car collided head-on with a truck, causing a severe crash that left the vehicle mangled. Four of the passengers died at the scene, while the fifth, Dikesh, was rushed to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Udaipur. Due to his deteriorating condition, he was transferred to Ambikapur Medical College for advanced care. Udaipur police, led by Station House Officer Kumari Chandrakar, quickly reached the site. Due to the extensive damage to the car, rescue teams had to use cutters to extract the bodies. Two of the deceased were trapped in the wreckage and had to be removed with considerable effort. Preliminary investigations suggest that excessive speed and poor visibility due to morning fog were likely factors in the accident. The collision occurred at a bend on a slope, where the truck, believed to have been overtaking another vehicle, struck the oncoming car head-on.The truck driver fled the scene, abandoning the vehicle. A large crowd gathered at the site following the accident, and the police have informed the families of the deceased. Further investigations are on.