Bhubaneswar: As many as five polling officials were injured, two of them critically, when a bus in which they were travelling hit a truck from behind at Badarama ghati under Jamankira police station in Sambalpur on Saturday night.
A total of 18 polling officials were returning in the bus with EVMs and VVPATs after completing the election duty.
At around 9 PM, the bus hit the truck from behind on National Highway No. 53 while negotiating a curve.
All the injured officials have been shifted to VIMSAR, Burla for treatment.
Jamankira police reached the spot and recovered the EVMs, VVPATs and other voting materials before sending them to disbursal center at Kuchinda College.
Sambalpur among six Parliamentary constituencies went to polls on Saturday in the third phase election in Odisha.
It is worth mentioning that a polling agent died yesterday while on election duty at booth- 136 of Hindol in Dhenkanal district. The doctor declared him dead at Hindol Community Health Centre. The cause of death is not yet clear.