BARIPADA: Two persons were killed and another was injured when a onion-laden truck fell into a gorge at Bangiriposi ghat in Mayurbhanj district on Wednesday.
The deceased are drivers Younus Khan(50) and Abdul Hok(33), residents of Malkapur in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra. The helper of the truck who received minor injuries was rushed to Bangiriposi Community Health Centre (CHC) and later discharged after treatment.
Police sources said the ill-fated truck was heading towards Kolkata from Nasik. The mishap took place when the vehicle fell into a gorge of more than 40-foot while negotiating a curve at Bangiriposi ghat.
A firefighter team along with local police rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies and rescued the helper.
Investigating Officer Debdas Sahu said the bodies were sent to PRM Medical College and Hospital at Baripada for postmortem. The family members of the deceased and owner of the truck have been informed about the mishap. The bodies will be handed over after they arrive here, he said.
The preliminary investigation revealed the truck driver had lost control over the vehicle and fell into the gorge. The mishap might have occurred either due to reckless driving or sleep inertia.