Hazaribag: Two persons died and five others sustained injuries in four accidents reported on the 20-km stretch of NH-19, popularly known as GT Road, in Chauparan block, from Saturday night to Sunday morning, police said.Two motorcycles collided head-on near a diversion near Pipra on Saturday night, killing Dixit Kumar of Gaya while Sumit Kumar of Bara in Chauparan succumbed to injuries during treatment at the Barhi sub-divisional hospital.Eyewitnesses said the motorcyclists heading towards Barhi were speeding and lost control near the diversion. The stretch was marked one-way owing to ongoing road construction, but inadequate signage and poor safety arrangements led to frequent accidents, alleged area resident Banshi Kumar.On Saturday, three persons, including an elderly woman, were seriously injured in Bigaha when a van carrying schoolchildren hit her.On Sunday morning, a truck lost control in Danuwa valley and plunged nearly 30 ft into a gorge, leaving the driver seriously injured. He was rescued and sent to the hospital. Preliminary reports suggested the driver may have been under the influence of alcohol, police said.On Sunday afternoon, a wheat-laden truck overturned in front of SBI at Singharawan . The driver was extricated by locals from the vehicle and sent to Barhi hospital.Residents demanded immediate installation of proper signboards, improved traffic management, and enhanced safety measures to prevent further loss of lives on the busy highway stretch.Confirming the two deaths, OC of Chauparan police station, Saroj Singh, said, “I would look into the concerns raised by villagers. Bodies have been handed over to relatives after post-mortem.”
