Rourkela: Two trailer truck drivers were burnt alive after their vehicles collided and caught fire on a coal transport corridor under Lefripada police station limits in Sundargarh district in the early hours of Sunday.The deceased were identified as Chandan Kumar Yadav (35) of Bihar’s Aurangabad district and Mantu Yadav (37) of Jharkhand. Police said Mantu was driving a coal-laden trailer, while Chandan was believed to be in the empty trailer coming from the opposite direction. The accident took place around 1am near Amlabahal village. According to the police, the coal-laden trailer had loaded coal from an MCL mine and was travelling along the corridor when it collided with the empty trailer approaching from the opposite direction.The impact triggered a massive blaze that engulfed both vehicles within minutes. The drivers were trapped inside their cabins and could not escape. Other truck drivers and helpers rushed to the spot but were unable to rescue them as the flames spread rapidly through both vehicles.Locals alerted police and the fire brigade. Firefighters and police personnel reached the site and extinguished the blaze, but both drivers had succumbed to burn injuries. The charred bodies were later recovered from the wreckage and sent for postmortem examination.Police identified Mantu after the owner of the coal-laden trailer reached the site on Sunday. Chandan’s identity was also established, though police are verifying whether he was driving the vehicle or travelling as a helper.Lefripada police have seized both burnt vehicles and registered a case. Investigators are probing the circumstances that led to the collision and the subsequent fire.“We have seized both the burnt trailers and registered a case. The bodies will be handed over to the families after postmortem. We are investigating how the two vehicles caught fire after the collision,” said Uday Sahoo, sub-inspector of Lefripada police station.
