Kolkata, June 20 : Nine people, all from Jharkhand, were killed in a horrific road accident in Purulia district of West Bengal on Friday morning.

The accident took place after the passenger vehicle in which the nine passengers were travelling had a head-on collision with a trailer-truck coming from the opposite direction.

The mishap took place on the Purulia-Jamshedpur National Highway Number 18.

It is learnt that the nine people, all residents of Jharkhand, came by that passenger vehicle to Barabazar area in Purulia district of West Bengal to attend a marriage function on Thursday.

On Friday morning they were heading back to their residence at Nimdih in Jharkhand.

As the vehicle reached the National Highway under Balarampur Police station in Purulia, it had a head-on collision with the truck coming from the opposite direction.

According to eyewitnesses, the impact of the collision was such that the passenger vehicle, especially its front end, crumpled completely and some of the passengers got trapped inside.

Villagers immediately came forward to help and started the initial rescue operation. They even managed to bring out the bodies of the passengers who were trapped inside the vehicle.

Later a huge police contingent from the local police station joined the rescue effort.

The nine passengers were promptly shifted to the local Primary Health Centre and all of them were declared dead there by the doctor. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem purposes.

The police has seized the truck against which the passenger vehicle collided. However, the driver and helper of the truck are absconding.

Following the accident, there was temporary traffic congestion on the National Highway. However, the traffic flow became normal soon following the intervention of the police after the damaged passenger car was removed.

'We suspect that the driver of the passenger vehicle had fallen asleep while driving, which resulted in the head-on collision. At the same time, the roads were wet because of the constant rainfall since Thursday and could have led to the mishap,' said a district police official.

The district Superintendent of Police in Purulia confirmed that all the nine deceased persons were residents of Jharkhand. However, the cops are yet to reveal their identities.

/IANS