Ranchi/Medininagar, February 13 – The driver of a container truck died on Friday in the Ramgarh district of Jharkhand after the vehicle caught fire following a collision with a trailer, police said.
The accident occurred on NH-33 in the Chuttupalu Valley, they said.
"Two fire tenders were deployed to extinguish the fire. After the fire was put out, a charred body was found inside the cabin. It is suspected to be that of the driver," said Naveen Prakash Pandey, the officer-in-charge of the Ramgarh police station.
The driver was from Malda district in West Bengal, and efforts are being made to contact his family, the officer said.
The owner of the vehicle, registered in Hyderabad, has also been informed, he said.
The accident may have been caused by a brake failure, he added.
In another incident, an elderly man was run over by a truck near Dr Rajendra Prasad Golambar in Medininagar, Palamu.
The deceased was identified as Ashok Paswan (65), a resident of Dumi village in the Lesliganj police station area.
"The victim had come to the market where the truck ran over him. He was immediately taken to the Medinirai Medical College & Hospital (MMCH), where he succumbed to his injuries," said Jyoti Lal Rajwar, the officer-in-charge of the Town police station.
The truck was seized and the driver taken into custody, the officer said.