In a shocking incident that has raised serious questions about the state of disaster preparedness in Tripura, a driver trapped inside a lorry after an accident in Chakmaghat under Teliamura police station of Khowai District died after waiting for over five hours without rescue.

Locals have blamed the Disaster Management Department and sub-district administration for the tragic death, calling their response “a complete failure.”

The accident took place at around 2:30 AM on Tuesday when a cement-laden lorry travelling from Dharmanagar to Agartala lost control and crashed on National Highway 8 near Chakmaghat. 

The front portion of the vehicle was severely crushed, leaving the driver—identified as Mihir Lal Debnath, son of Makhanlal Debnath from Kanchanpur—trapped and gravely injured inside.

Eyewitnesses said Debnath was conscious and pleading for help for hours after the crash. Despite repeated calls to authorities, no effective rescue operation was launched for several hours. “He was crying for help... begging us to save him. But all we could do was watch helplessly,” a local resident recounted, anger and helplessness in his voice.

By the time a team from the Disaster Management Department arrived—along with a few personnel carrying inadequate cutting equipment—it was already too late. According to locals, the equipment failed to function properly and officials appeared untrained and ill-prepared. The body of Mihir Lal Debnath was finally pulled out around 9:40 AM and taken to Teliamura Sub-Divisional Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

The incident has triggered widespread public outrage in the area. “This department has become a shieldless and swordless Sardar. It exists only on paper, spending lakhs from the public treasury without delivering results,” a local leader said, demanding accountability from the administration.

Local residents also criticised the Teliamura sub-divisional administration and the Fire Service for their delayed and ineffective response. Many questioned the purpose of repeated mock drills and disaster training exercises that appear to have no real-life impact. “Every time there is a real emergency, the system collapses,” said another resident.

While the disaster response has come under scathing criticism, locals have appreciated the efforts of personnel from the 12th Battalion of Tripura State Rifles (TSR), who reportedly assisted with crowd control and offered logistical help during the failed rescue attempt.

The tragic death of Mihir Lal Debnath has cast a dark shadow over the effectiveness of disaster preparedness in the state and renewed calls for an overhaul of the system to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future.