Angul: Tension flared at Khandahata Chhak under Angul Sadar police station on Saturday evening after an SUV lost control and rammed into a bike garage, injuring four people and damaging more than five parked motorcycles. Enraged locals blocked the Angul–Mahidharpur road in protest, leaving over 100 vehicles stranded on both sides and forcing police to intervene to restore order.
The injured were rushed to the Angul District Headquarters Hospital. Their identities have not yet been confirmed.
The evening mishap followed another horrific accident at the same spot earlier in the day.
Around 2:30 PM, an auto-rickshaw carrying a family from Karanda village in Dhenkanal district collided with a car and both vehicles plunged into a water body. Three people—Banshidhar Sethi, his wife Kamala Sethi, and auto-rickshaw driver Mantu Muduli—died on the spot. Two others, including a 12-year-old boy, were critically injured and remain under treatment. The car driver fled the scene, and police have registered a case.
The twin accidents within hours have triggered widespread anger over recurring road mishaps in the area, with locals demanding urgent safety measures.