Dhenkanal: In a tragic incident, five members of a wedding party died after their car veered off the road and plunged into a pond near Chhatia village under Dhenkanal Sadar police station late last night.
According to reports, seven friends from Bangurasinh village under Motanga police jurisdiction area had travelled in a car as part of the groom’s wedding party to Indipur village where the wedding was being held. After attending the ceremony, they were returning home late at night when the accident occurred. The car suddenly lost control and fell into the pond near Chhatia village.
Two occupants, identified as Bablu and Shibu, managed to break open the car door and swim to safety.
Upon being informed, local villagers rushed to the spot and pulled out the remaining five passengers from the submerged vehicle. However, they were dead by the time they were rescued. The deceased have been identified as Chandrakant Swain (driver), Abinash Sahu, Rakesh Sahu and Sriram Sahu and Abhijit Sahu.
The bodies were recovered and sent to the District Headquarters Hospital for post-mortem, where a pall of gloom descended on the families and the local community.
Meanwhile, police have initiated an investigation into the exact cause of the accident.
