BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK : A 32-year-old man and 14 cows were killed after a cattle-laden truck overturned at Madhupatna Square in Cuttack on Saturday. The deceased has been identified as Riazat, helper of the truck. Around seven cows, which were severely injured in the accident, have been shifted to a local veterinary hospital.According to reports, around 50 cows were being transported from Begunia to Kolkata on National Highway-16 when the incident occurred.
The driver of the 10-wheeler lost control of the vehicle and rammed into the guard wall of Madhupatna overbridge at 3.10 am and overturned. The helper of the truck came under the vehicle and died on his way to hospital. On the other hand, 14 of the bovines, which were piled up brutally one upon the other, died due to the impact of the accident.
Members of a local voluntary organisation and activists of Biswa Go Surakshya Bahini and Bajrang Dal rushed to the spot and rescued the bovines.“Police seized the vehicle but the driver of the truck managed to escape. A case has been registered in this connection at Madhupatna police station,” said IIC JK Dalei.
Post beef ban, illegal cattle trafficking has been rampant in the State. The traffickers use NH-16 as a convenient gateway for transporting cows to West Bengal for slaughtering, said president of Odisha unit of Biswa Go Surakshya Samiti Suresh Panda.