Pioneer News Service
Daltonganj
As monsoon rains bring the familiar risks of waterlogging and flooding, falling trees have emerged as another unpredictable hazard for commuters in Latehar district, with two incidents reported on Sunday.
Three occupants of a luxury car had a narrow escape when a huge gold mohar, or flame tree, suddenly fell on their vehicle near the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) camp on State Highway 9, close to Mahuadnar town, around 7 pm.
The car, driven by senior journalist Paras Yadav, was travelling from Mahuadnar towards Barwaishnagar when the incident occurred. Yadav said it was raining lightly at the time and there was no strong wind or heavy traffic on the road.
“The tree fell all of a sudden, almost like a lightning strike. We were trapped inside the car,” he said.
As the incident occurred near the IRB camp, jawans and local residents immediately rushed to the spot. They first removed smaller branches from the vehicle before a JCB machine was brought in to pull away the massive tree trunk.
The occupants escaped unhurt, but the vehicle sustained damage to its bonnet, windscreen and roof. Yadav said the car continued its nearly 30-km journey to Barwaishnagar, with the occupants remaining anxious that the engine might fail at any moment.
In a separate incident, a large tree fell on the railway track between Chhipadohar and Hehegara stations around 4.25 pm, disrupting train movement for nearly 90 minutes. Railway sources said the overhead equipment remained unaffected.
Teams from Daltonganj, Barwadih and Latehar, along with a Tower Wagon, were rushed to the site. The fallen tree was eventually removed late Sunday night, restoring rail movement.
