Jagatsinghpur: At least 17 kanwariyas, including six women and two children, were injured when a pickup van carrying them rammed into a shrine near Kotakana Chhak on the Cuttack-Paradip road in Jagatsinghpur district on Monday, police said.
Five of the injured were reported to be in serious condition, they said.
According to preliminary information, the pickup van was returning towards the Kujang area after the kanwariyas had offered water at a religious shrine in Nayagarh when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle near Kotakana Chhak.
The vehicle subsequently collided with the ‘hundi’ (donation box) associated with Baba Gorekhnath shrine, leaving the passengers injured.
Fire personnel and local residents rushed to the spot and rescued the injured. All 17 injured persons were taken to the Manijanga Community Health Centre for treatment.
