Soro (Balasore): A serious accident occurred on National Highway No. 16 near College Chowk under Soro police limits in Balasore district on Saturday afternoon when a pick-up van collided with an 108 ambulance, carrying a patient from Basta to Bhubaneswar.
The incident took place near College Chowk in front of Odisha Dhaba, leaving two persons accompanying the patient critically injured.
According to reports, the ambulance was transporting Shasikant Jena, a resident of Nalbagh village in the Basta area, along with his wife Rashmita Biswal (34) and Lijamani Jena (31).
As the ambulance approached College Chowk, it suddenly applied brakes due to speed breakers on the road. A pickup van trailing behind failed to stop in time and rammed into the ambulance, causing significant damage.
The impact of the collision left Rashmita and Lijamani with serious injuries.
Locals at the scene quickly intervened, rescuing the injured and rushing them to the Soro Community Health Centre for immediate medical attention.
However, given the critical nature of their injuries, both women were later referred to the district headquarters hospital in Balasore for advanced treatment.
The patient, Shasikant Jena, reportedly escaped unharmed in the accident. Authorities have initiated an investigation to determine the exact cause of the collision and whether speeding or negligence played a role.
