Dhenkanal: Several policemen were injured, two critically, in a police van accident at Kapilas hill in Dhenkanal district on Tuesday evening. The two critically injured policemen have been admitted to the district headquarters hospital.
A massive police deployment has been made in Kapilas to maintain peace and order, given the expected arrival of lakhs of devotees for Baba Chandra Shekhar’s Jagar Jatra.
While returning from the temple, the police van’s brakes failed on Ghati Number 1 and rammed into makeshift vendors. Several policemen in the van were injured, and two were hospitalized in critical condition. Vehicles, shops, and articles were destroyed at the scene of the accident.
An injured police personnel recounted, “I suffered leg injuries, and five-six colleagues seated in the front of the van also sustained injuries. I heard the accident occurred due to brake failure, but I’m unsure if any local vendors or pedestrians were injured.”