Three persons were killed and another was injured as a truck and a matador collided and caught fire in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district today, police said.
The incident took place near Bhanpuri village on Mumbai-Kolkata National Highway.
The deceased were identified as truck driver Rajesh, his assistant, and matador driver Raju, said Lal Bagh Station House Officer Shaukat Ali said.
The truck, loaded with sponge iron, was heading to Nashik from Rajnandgaon while matador was carrying aluminium wire from Nagpur when the two vehicles collided head-on nine km away from Rajnandgaon.
The drivers of both the vehicles got trapped inside and were charred to death. However, conductor of the matador jumped out and saved his life.
He was admitted to a local hospital where his condition was said to be normal, police said.
Collector Ashok Agrawal, Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Shukla and other officials rushed to the spot. Fire brigade was pressed into service to douse the fire.
