Balasore: What began as a spiritual journey to the holy town of Puri ended in tragedy when a car from West Bengal met with a fatal accident on the National Highway near Khantapada police station in Balasore district on Thursday.
According to reports, the car — which was returning to West Bengal after a visit to Shree Jagannath Temple — crashed into a stationary sand-laden truck parked along the highway. The driver and a woman passenger died on the spot, while two others sustained critical injuries.
Local police and bystanders rushed to the scene soon after the accident. The injured were immediately shifted to Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital in Balasore for treatment.
Preliminary reports indicate that four people, including the driver, were traveling in the vehicle. The exact cause of the collision is yet to be ascertained, though police suspect the driver may not have noticed the parked truck in time.