Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the families of five police personnel who were killed in a head-on collision between a gravel-laden tipper truck and an SUV in Jharsuguda district early this morning.
In a post on social media platform X, the Chief Minister’s Office described the accident as “deeply distressing” and expressed profound grief over the loss of lives. The ex-gratia will be provided from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) to the next of kin of the deceased officers.
The victims were identified as armed police reserve constables Kasiram Bhoi and Debendra Sa, Havildar Lingaraj Dharua, Sub-Inspector Niranjan Kujur, and Home Guard Bhakta Bandhu Mirdha. All were in their 40s. Three other personnel sustained critical injuries and are being treated at a nearby hospital.
Jharsuguda Superintendent of Police Gundala Reddy Raghavendra said the tipper driver involved in the collision has been arrested. “The circumstances leading to the accident are under investigation,” he said after visiting the crash site and meeting the injured at the hospital.
The SUV was completely mangled, underscoring the severity of the impact. Fire service teams deployed hydraulic cutters to dismantle the twisted cabin and extricate the trapped personnel. Despite rapid rescue efforts, doctors declared five police personnel dead upon arrival at the hospital.
