Ten persons died and eight others sustained serious injuries when the MUV in which they were travelling dashed against a roadside tree near Jogimunda on Patnagarh-Khaprakhol road here during wee hours of Thursday.
All the 18 persons including two children were returning to Khaprakhol after attending a marriage function at Khujenpali village near Balangir town.
Sources said the incident occurred at around 1 am when the passengers in the vehicle were asleep. They added that the driver might have dozed off while driving for which the vehicle travelling in high speed hit a tree. Since the spot where the accident took place is a desolate area, the injured were stuck inside the vehicle for a long time till some youths of Jogimunda saw them and began rescue operation besides informing Patnagarh police.
The deceased have been identified as driver of the vehicle Dharanidhar Bag (35), Kamlakanta Rout (20), Shyama Bhati (32), Hari Gartia (21) Tiki Bariha (20), Kanhu Singh Bariha (23), Laxmi Bag (40) and her two sons Swadhin (6) and Dasmant (3) of Khaprakhol and Astami Hati (35) of Malpada in Balangir town. While the nine died on the spot, driver Kanhu succumbed in Patnagarh hospital.
Among the injured, while one Sudam Sahu is undergoing treatment in Balangir district headquarters hospital, others have been shifted to VSS Medical at Burla after their condition deteriorated. The other injured are Josabanta Bag, Hemsagar Banchor, Dhodo Bag, Khedu Bariha, Nrupamani Karuan, Sudam Seth and Rulu.
Patnagarh Sub-Collector Mohan Charan Dash, SDPO Sunil Joshi, Tehsildar Amiya Sahu oversaw the rescue operations. All the shops in Khaprakhol town remained closed following the accident.
SDPO Patnagarh Sunil Joshi said such was the impact of collision that the four-wheeler was completely damaged.
Compensation announced
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced an ex gratia of ` two lakh for the family of each deceased. He has also directed Balangir administration to provide the ex gratia to the families within 24 hours. The State Government would bear medical expenses of injured persons from Odisha State Treatment Fund.
The accident comes barely a week after five persons were killed and 15 others injured when a speeding OSRTC bus carrying them dashed against a tree and caught fire. The bus was going from Bhubaneswar to Sinapalli in Nuapada when the accident took place near Puintala.