Container topples over, crushes cab on Delhi-Mumbai expressway in Kota; two killed

Kota, Dec 24 (PTI) Two women were killed on the spot after a container truck toppled over on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Kota district on Wednesday morning, crushing the back portion of a cab in which the victims were travelling along with their family members, police said.

The three other occupants of the vehicle -- two family members and the taxi driver -- escaped unhurt, they said, adding that, while the driver of the container fled from the scene, its cleaner has been detained.

The deceased women were identified as Shivani Chouhan (42), wife of Kuldeep Singh -- a native of Dehradun in Uttarakhand and presently residing in Australia -- and her sister-in-law Sudha Rana (45), resident of Noida.

The four family members were were returning to Dehradun on Wednesday morning after visiting the Mahakal temple in Ujjain, when around 8.30 pm, the container overturned on their cab on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near a toll plaza under Chetchat police station, officials said.

The back portion of the taxi came under the truck, crushing the two women seated on the back seat and killing them on the spot, they said, adding that the three other persons in the car -- Kuldeep Singh, his son Vardhman Singh, and driver Arjun Singh -- escaped without injuries.

The container driver fled from the scene after the incident, however, another occupant of the container, likely the cleaner, was detained, Duty Officer Jogendara said.

The police have lodged a case under relevant sections against the container driver and further investigation is underway, he said, adding that the bodies were handed over to family members after postmortem examination. PTI COR ARB ARB