Overview
- People who had gathered to help a scooter rider were struck by an 18-wheeler that lost control while negotiating a sharp, dark bend late Thursday night, emergency officials said.
- Khunti police confirmed seven dead — three children, three women and one man — and one injured, with six fatalities at the scene and a seventh dying in hospital.
- The truck driver and his helper fled the scene and the vehicle registration JH 02 AJ 1377 was cited in early reports while allegations the driver was intoxicated remain unverified by police.
- Enraged villagers blocked the Karra-Torpa main road and burned tyres to demand the driver's arrest, fair compensation and long-term safety fixes as officials pledged immediate assistance.
- Local residents and authorities described the Jone-Ludru turn as accident-prone because of poor visibility and heavy-vehicle traffic, a pattern that could prompt road engineering changes and stricter enforcement if the inquiry supports those causes.