Bhubaneswar: A driver narrowly escaped injury on Monday after a welcome arch collapsed onto his car at Karikol near a petrol pump on the Cuttack–Sambalpur road in Athagarh NAC of Cuttack district. The incident occurred as a Nor’wester (Kalbaisakhi) lashed the area with heavy rain and strong winds.
The storm caused widespread disruption in Athagarh, uprooting several large trees and snapping power lines, leaving parts of the region without electricity. Locals reported heavy rain accompanied by thunder and gusty winds that battered the town and surrounding villages.
Immediately after the arch fell, residents rushed to the scene to help, while the fire brigade team arrived shortly after to clear the debris and restore traffic on the road.
“This was a narrow escape,” said a local witness. “The driver was lucky that he was unharmed despite the arch falling on his car.”
