Bhavnagar: Seven people travelling to work at the Alang shipbreaking yard were killed after their SUV crashed into a stationary trailer on a service road along the Bhavnagar-Somnath national highway in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district Tuesday.
The accident took place around 10 a.m. near Trapaj village in Talaja taluka, under the jurisdiction of Alang police station.
According to police, the SUV was travelling from Bhavnagar towards Alang when it rammed into the rear of the trailer, which was parked on the service road.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Nitesh Pandey said six people died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries during treatment.
“The trailer was parked on the highway’s service road near Trapaj village when the Bolero, travelling behind it, rammed into its rear. Six people died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries during treatment,” he told IANS.
The collision left the Bolero completely mangled, with its front portion badly damaged after becoming lodged against the trailer. The force of the impact also pushed the stationary trailer forward.
Rescue efforts were complicated by the extent of damage to the SUV. Police and local rescuers had to force open its doors using iron bars to remove the occupants.
Local reports also said CCTV footage from the area captured the collision. All the occupants were travelling to Alang, where they worked at shipbreaking yards.
Local reports identified the deceased as employees associated with Alang shipbreaking operations, although police had not immediately released a full official list of identities.
Police and emergency ambulance services reached the spot after receiving information about the crash. The bodies were taken to a government hospital for postmortem examinations.
The accident briefly affected traffic movement in the area as police and rescue personnel worked at the site and removed the damaged vehicles.
Police have begun an investigation to establish the circumstances leading to the collision, including how the SUV crashed into the parked trailer.
