2 killed as banyan tree falls on truck in Kangra

In a tragic incident, two men lost their lives today after a banyan tree collapsed on a truck in which they were sleeping. The incident occurred in Khawa village near Sadon, under the Nagrota Bagwan sub-division of Kangra district.

The deceased have been identified as Tek Chand, son of Diwan, a resident of Mahal; and Sanjeev Kumar, son of Ram Kumar, from Masal Bari in Dehra tehsil — both hailing from Kangra district.

The truck — which was parked by the roadside, loaded with bricks — was scheduled for delivery later in the day. It was crushed under the weight of the tree, which reportedly had a girth of nearly 50 feet. The early morning storm is believed to have caused the tree to topple, completely engulfing the vehicle in its branches and foliage.

The local village pradhan, Manoj, reported the incident to Babloo of Sadon, who is also the state president of the Anti-Terrorist Front. Babloo reached the site around 6 am with emergency support. However, immediate rescue efforts were extremely challenging.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate Munish Sharma of Nagrota Bagwan also arrived at the scene immediately with a team from the State Disaster Response Force, along with heavy machinery, including JCBs, cutters, and a hydra crane. Despite a two-hour-long operation, both individuals were found dead inside the truck.

SDM Sharma announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 10,000 for the dependents of each of the deceased. He expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and thanked all personnel and locals who extended timely assistance during the rescue operation.