Agartala: August 05: A devastating accident on National Highway-8 at Chakmaghat under Teliamura Police Station claimed the life of a lorry driver late Monday night, exposing severe lapses in the region’s emergency response system.
Around 2:30 am, a cement-laden truck en route from Dharmanagar to Agartala lost control and crashed. The driver—Mihir Lal Debnath, son of Makhan Lal Debnath of Kanchanpur—was trapped in the wreckage as the front portion of the vehicle collapsed onto him. Despite his desperate cries for help, Mihir remained pinned inside for more than eight hours.
Shockingly, the sub-divisional administration and disaster management authorities failed to respond effectively. While some personnel did arrive with iron-cutting tools, the equipment was reportedly non-functional. A DCM official reached the scene nearly seven hours later—long after any chance of saving the victim had passed.
By the time Mihir’s body was retrieved around 9:40 am and taken to Teliamura Sub-Divisional Hospital, public anger had reached a boiling point. Locals gathered in protest, slamming the administration for its inaction and accusing it of gross negligence.
“This isn’t just a death—it’s a failure of the entire system,” one protester said, demanding accountability from those responsible for emergency preparedness.
The incident has highlighted glaring deficiencies in disaster response protocols. Despite claims of preparedness and training, the delay in deploying functional rescue equipment and personnel underlines the inefficiency on the ground.
Amid the chaos, jawans from TSR’s 12th Battalion made sincere efforts to assist, earning local appreciation as one of the few redeeming aspects of the incident.
The tragedy has ignited renewed calls for overhauling emergency systems to ensure that no more lives are lost due to preventable delays.
