Chaibasa. A major accident occurred on Saturday morning in the Serengsia Valley, located in Chaibasa, West Singhbhum district, when a Tata 407 truck loaded with cold drinks went out of control and overturned along the roadside. In the aftermath of the accident, while the driver lay injured awaiting assistance, a crowd gathered at the scene—casting aside all humanity—and began looting the scattered cartons and bottles of cold drinks.
According to reports, the truck was transporting a consignment of cold drinks towards Chaibasa. The driver lost control of the vehicle at one of the dangerous and sharp turns within the Serengsia Valley, causing the truck to overturn. The driver sustained minor injuries in the accident and was sent for first aid with the assistance of local residents. However, the moment the truck overturned, hundreds of cartons loaded inside it spilled across the road.
Immediately following the accident, residents from nearby villages and passersby began converging on the scene. Within moments, the situation escalated as people started grabbing bottles and cartons of cold drinks and fleeing. Some individuals were even observed wearing helmets while carrying away the bottles, presumably to conceal their identities. The situation deteriorated so rapidly that while some bystanders remained occupied with recording videos, a large number of people actively participated in the looting.
Upon receiving the information, a police team arrived at the scene, but by then, it was largely too late; more than half of the goods had already been carried away by the crowd. Acting firmly, the police dispersed the people present at the scene and secured the remaining goods. Additionally, the process of removing the damaged vehicle from the road was initiated.
The truck owner is estimated to have suffered financial losses amounting to lakhs of rupees as a result of this incident. The police have recorded the driver’s statement and have launched an investigation into the entire matter. The police have issued a clear statement warning that strict legal action will be taken against those found guilty of participating in the looting. Due to the accident, traffic remained jammed on the Serengsia Valley route for nearly an hour, causing significant inconvenience to commuting vehicles. Subsequently, traffic flow was restored to normalcy through the intervention of the police and the local administration.
