Coal Truck Death Sparks 30-Hour Road Blockade in Jharkhand’s Chatra

Chatra: Tension continues to run high in parts of Chatra district after a man was killed by a speeding coal-laden truck on the Tandwa–Piparwar main road, police said on Thursday.

More than 30 hours after the accident, villagers are still staging a protest with the victim’s body, demanding compensation and stricter road safety measures.

The incident took place on Wednesday afternoon near Karo village under Piparwar police station limits. The deceased, Uresh Lohar, also known as Suresh Lohra, a resident of Chiraiyatand Tola, died on the spot after being hit by an out-of-control heavy vehicle.

Soon after the accident, angry locals blocked the road and began a sit-in protest. Even after the postmortem, the body has been kept at the protest site as part of their demonstration.

Villagers claim that unchecked movement of coal transport vehicles has made the road increasingly dangerous, with accidents becoming frequent.

They are demanding ?20 lakh compensation for the victim’s family, a separate route for heavy vehicles, enforcement of a no-entry rule on the main road, and strict action against overloading.

Dilip Kumar Ambasht, a representative of Chatra MP Kalicharan Singh, visited the site and held discussions with the protesters. He assured them that he would take up the matter with the authorities.

However, till the time of reporting, no senior administrative officials or transport authorities had reached the spot to defuse the situation.

The prolonged blockade has led to long traffic snarls on both sides of the road. With vehicular movement rising during the wedding season, commuters are facing major inconvenience and are being forced to take alternate routes.

Villagers have warned that the protest will continue until their demands are met. The situation remains tense, with no concrete action yet from the administration.

With inputs from IANS