Balasore: A pickup van carrying explosives overturned near Talanagar under Soro police station on National Highway 16 late last night.
As per reports, the vehicle, bearing registration number OD 01 EU 0917, was heading from Bhubaneswar to Soro when it lost balance and crashed around 11:30 pm.
The highway patrol police seized the vehicle and took it to the Soro police station. However, the driver managed to flee the scene.
It is learnt that the explosives were likely intended for use in a quarry in Bagudi.
The incident raises concerns about the administration’s oversight, as mafia groups are allegedly using explosives to loot stones worth crores from closed quarries.
