Mayurbhanj: A Home Guard died while four others, including an Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) of Udala Police Station, sustained critical injuries after a 108 ambulance crashed into a police van near Petrol Pump Square at Udala in Mayurbhanj district late last night.
As per the report, officers were questioning a person after parking the police van on the roadside when the ambulance suddenly appeared and collided with the van head-on. The impact was so severe that the police van overturned three times, and the ambulance dragged it for some distance.
According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred when the 108 ambulance was returning from Baripada after dropping a patient and on its way to Kaptipada. The ambulance driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle, leading to the collision.
The IIC Banamali Barik and driver Sadananda Singh were seriously injured in the accident. Home Guard Laxmidhar Mahanta was crushed under the police van and died on the spot. The driver and helper of the ambulance were also seriously injured in the mishap apart from pharmacist Satyajit Panda who was in the ambulance as well.
The injured were rushed to Udala Hospital for treatment. Later the IIC and driver were shifted to Baripada Hospital as their condition deteriorated. An investigation into the incident is underway.
