BHUBANESWAR/BERHAMPUR/BARIPADA: The joy of finishing 2023 on a high and ushering in the New Year ended in tragedy as two youths died and at least 40 others suffered injuries in four separate mishaps across the state on Sunday.
A 29-year-old, identified as Biswasundar Jena, drowned in a stream in Lulung, located within Similipal National Park on Sunday. Son of an employee of a defence organisation, Biswasundar had ventured into the water body for a bath during a picnic with 11 friends. He slipped into a deep pocket of water and even after a desperate rescue attempt by his friends, the 29-year-old could not be saved. He was rushed to Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital but was pronounced dead.
In Nayagarh district, a youth was killed and another four sustained grievous burn injuries after their car caught fire after ramming into a tree by the roadside near Jamusahi. Identities of the deceased and injured persons have not been ascertained yet, said police.
The five from Kurup district of neighbouring Chhattisgarh were on their way to Shri Jagannath Temple of Puri for darshan of the Holy Trinity when they met with the accident. The impact of the accident was so severe that after hitting the tree, the car caught fire.
A police team reached the spot and with the help of locals rescued all five persons. Firefighters took around an hour to douse the flames. The injured were rushed to the community health centre in Dasapalla in a critical condition. However, doctors declared one of them dead. Three others were shifted to AIIMS in Bhubaneswar.
In the third incident, about 77 passengers including 22 children had a close shave when the picnic bus they were travelling in overturned near a curve on the ghat roads. Ahead of the New Year, the picnickers from the Jajpur district had visited Jirang under the Gajapati district. The accident took place at about 4 pm. At least 11 passengers sustained injuries and were shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur.
In yet another mishap, a bus carrying students of a computer institute in Bhadrak overturned near Purusottampur in Ganjam district. At least 25 persons including parents and teachers of the students travelling in the bus were hurt in the mishap which took place when they were returning from Maa Tara Tarini temple.