Rayagada/Keonjhar: In a tragic incident, five persons were killed and eight others sustained critical injuries in separate road incidents in the Rayagada and Keonjhar districts of Odisha on Saturday morning.
Four persons were killed and five others were seriously injured after an auto-rickshaw they were travelling by collided head-on with a pick-up van near Ukuchabeda under Pandapada police station in Keonjhar district on Saturday morning.
According to the information received, six people from Ladakamandara village under Pandapada police station were returning to Keonjhar for some work when their vehicle collided with a pickup van near Ukuchabeda village. As a result, three people, including the auto driver, died on the spot while four others sustained serious injuries. The injured have been admitted to Keonjhar Medical Centre.
In the second mishap, one person was killed and three injured grievously after the auto-rickshaw they were travelling by overturned near Sankesh on National Highway 326 in Rayagada district this morning.
Sources said at least 18 persons, all labourers, were on their way to Rayagada from Gumma and Kyapadu villages when the driver lost control over the wheels and rammed the vehicle into a roadside railing causing the vehicle to overturn.
Consequently, a woman passenger died on the spot, while 17 others sustained critical injuries. The deceased has been identified as Tutsi Miniyaka, 22, a resident of Kiapadhu village in Rayagada block, while the condition of the three injured was said to be critical.
On being informed, Rayagada SP Vivekananda Sharma, SDPO Dibyajyot Das and IIC Rashmiranjan Pradhan visited the medical center and the accident site. The police have started an investigation into the accident.
