Howrah: Two people died and two others were injured, one critically, after a pickup van loaded with chickens crashed into the back of a stationary truck on NH-16 on Tuesday morning, police said. The accident, which police suspected was caused by heavy fog, triggered a traffic jam for over an hour.
Police identified the dead as Srikanta Diyashi (40), the owner of a poultry farm, and Partha Denre (41), the driver of the pickup van. Two helpers were injured, with one, Bikash Patra, in critical condition.
Police said the van's rear door lock broke in the collision, scattering chickens across the highway. Some chickens died, while others ran and flew across the highway, halting traffic in other lanes.