Help Delayed After Truck Crash, Tripura Driver Dies, Viral Video Sparks Outrage

Serious questions are being raised over the efficiency of Tripura's Disaster Management Department after a truck driver trapped in a road accident at Chakmaghat under Teliamura police station in Khowai district of Tripura died yesterday, without receiving timely rescue, reportedly due to negligence and non-functional equipment.

The incident has ignited public anger and renewed concerns about the state's readiness to handle real emergencies despite significant public expenditure on disaster preparedness.

The accident occurred around 2:30 am on Tuesday when a cement-laden truck travelling from Dharmanagar to Agartala met with a mishap on the National Highway at Chakmaghat.

The driver, Mihir Lal Debnath, who also owned the vehicle, was trapped in the mangled cabin after the front portion collapsed onto him. Witnesses said he repeatedly pleaded to be freed from the wreckage, but rescue efforts were delayed for hours.

For nearly seven to eight hours, neither the Teliamura sub-divisional administration nor the Disaster Management Department was able to extricate the victim, despite the department being equipped with taxpayer-funded resources for such emergencies.

When a small team from the Disaster Management unit finally arrived, they reportedly brought an iron-cutting machine that failed to operate, further hampering rescue efforts. To make matters worse, the concerned DCM reached the accident site nearly seven hours after the incident.

It was only around 9:40 am - almost seven hours after the crash-that officials managed to recover Debnath's lifeless body and transport it to Teliamura sub-divisional hospital, sparking widespread outrage among locals who squarely blamed administrative apathy for the loss of life.

Tripura Chief Minister Dr.Manik Saha had ordered a probe.

"A probe has been initiated in connection with the unfortunate incident at Teliamura, where a driver tragically lost his life following a mishap. The concerned authorities have been directed to submit a detailed report at the earliest. Appropriate action will be taken if any negligence is found on the part of any individual or authority," he posted on X.

Residents and eyewitnesses voiced frustration that, despite years of training programmes and official claims of readiness, ground-level response during a genuine crisis was ineffective. The malfunctioning of critical rescue equipment, they argued, exemplifies the gap between official preparedness on paper and actual performance in the crisis.