Crash after wedding leaves seven dead

TT, Cooch Behar: Seven persons, including a child, died in an accident on the outskirts of Cooch Behar town on Saturday early morning after the car they were travelling in careened off the road and tumbled into a roadside swamp.

They were returning from a marriage.

Police sources said the deceased, who are relatives, hail from Bhetaguri under Dinhata police station of the district. On Friday evening, they had gone to attend a marriage at Pakla under Baxirhat police station, located close to the Bengal-Assam border.

"While returning home, the Maruti Alto went off the road at Topamari near Jiranpur area. Locals informed our men who rushed to the spot along with fire officials. All the bodies have been rescued and were sent for post mortem," said a senior police official.

Among those who have died include Sadhan Saha, 32, and his seven-year-old daughter Nishita, Sadhan's brother Gopal, 37, Bapi Burman, 25, Balaram Saha, 35, Golap Deb, 40, and Subrata Saha, 38.

Subrata was driving the car, police said.

"A cousin of Sadhan and Gopal got married on Friday. It seems that the driver missed a road bend and the vehicle went off the road," said a police source.