BERHAMPUR: At least five persons were killed in separate road accidents in Nayagarh and Ganjam districts in the last 24 hours. In the first incident, three youths died after their motorcycle rammed into a roadside tree near Pathara village within Odagaon police limits in Nayagarh on Thursday night.
The deceased were identified as Madhab Pradhan (20), Suryakant Pradhan (19) and Rakesh Nayak (19) of Maheswarpur village. Sources said the mishap took place at around midnight. The trio was returning home after attending an event on Ram Navami at Odagaon when their bike hit a roadside tree.
Some passersby found the three youths lying in a pool of blood and raised an alarm. Locals reached the spot and rushed the injured trio to Odagaon community health centre (CHC). However, Suryakant was declared brought dead. The two others were shifted to Nayagarh district headquarters hospital but they succumbed to injuries during treatment.
Police seized the bike and started investigation. After autopsy, bodies of the youth were brought to Maheswarpur for cremation on Friday. A pall of gloom descended on the village as residents bid a tearful adieu to the deceased trio.
Similarly, a couple died after their motorcycle was hit by a school van near Khardar village within K Nuagaon police limits in Ganjam on Friday. The deceased are D Mukunda Rao (51) and his wife D Hemalata (37) of Kotlingi village.
Sources said the van was returning to Janakimanipur village after dropping school kids when it hit the two-wheeler of the couple who was on way to Surala village. The husband-wife duo sustained grievous injuries and was rushed to Chikiti CHC. However, they succumbed to injuries during treatment. The van driver fled after the mishap.