Kolkata: A middleaged man was killed while seven others were injured in a road accident in Kasba on Wednesday morning when a speeding minibus while allegedly racing with another lost control and dashed him and two stationary auto-rickshaws in which passengers were sitting. The victim, Bishwanath Haldar (50), was a resident of China Mandir. The decorator was standing at the auto-stand on Rasbehari Connector near Rene Tower at around 10.45 am. A minibus of Howrah railway station-Anandapur route was coming from EM Bypass. While heading towards Gariahat it lost control while racing and rammed into the two autos and a stationary private car at the stand. Haldar was killed on the spot.
Two other pedestrians: Brihaspati Bairagi (48) of China Mandir and Bablu Dey (43) of Tollygunge Road were injured.
Among other injured were Sidhhartha Chakraborty (32), an auto driver, and his two passengers: Prativa Pal (62) and her husband Paresh Chandra Pal (71) from Naskarhat in Madhyapara and Somnath Roy (23), another auto-driver and his passenger; Rakhi Rajak (21) also from Naskarhat. They were rushed to a private hospital where Haldar was declared brought dead. The offending bus was impounded by the police but its driver is absconding.
