Sundargarh: At least two women died and seven others sustained injuries when a pick-up van they were travelling in fell into a 20-ft deep gorge at Usatali Ghati under Hemagiri police limits in Sundargarh district, on Friday.
The deceased women have been identified as Moti Gandharba and Semabai Gandharba.
According to sources, the vehicle carrying nine employees including the driver of Balaji Injection Company lost its balance and met with a mishap near Usatali Ghati when it was on its way to Duduka.
Locals rescued the injured and rushed them to Sundargarh District Headquarters Hospital and Hemagiri Hospital.
Tension erupted in the locality after the mishap site with locals resorting to agitation in demand of compensation for the families of the deceased women. They held up traffic which led to vehicular disruption at the locality.
Hemagiri police, meanwhile, seized the bodies and initiated a probe into the matter.