BERHAMPUR: In a heart-wrenching incident, two Bol Bam devotees including a woman were killed and 10 others injured when a car ran over them near Bhetanai village under Aska police limits in Ganjam district, late on Sunday night.
The deceased were identified as Anita Swain (35) and Mukuna Behera (32). While Anita died on the spot, Mukuna succumbed to injuries at the MKCG Medical College and Hospital. The 10 injured, including Anita’s daughter Sonia (18), have been admitted to the MKCG MCH, while one was shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. All of them belong to Arakhapur village under the Buguda block of the district.
Sources said the mishap took place when the group of devotees was heading towards Tadakeswar Temple in their village carrying holy water from Rushikulya river in Aska. Soon after the accident, the victims were rescued by locals and rushed to Aska sub-divisional hospital and later shifted to the MKCGMCH.
"We were walking in a queue. While 12 people were a little ahead, I was one among the five who were a little behind. Suddenly we saw a car ramming into our co-villagers ahead of us. The car then entered a nearby field," says Raghab Behera, a kanwariya.
2 devotees killed, 10 injured
Police reached the spot and seized the vehicle. The driver was detained and an investigation has begun.
Raghab Behera, one of the kanwariyas who escaped unhurt said, a group of 17 kanwariyas including 10 women from the village reached the Rushikulya river at midnight to collect water and began walking. After reaching Bhetanai village they took rest for some time, before returning towards the village temple to pour water on the Shivalinga early on Monday morning.
“We were walking in a queue when all of a sudden we saw a speeding car mowing down 12 of our people who were a little ahead. Luckily I was one among the five who were behind. The car then entered a nearby field and stopped,” explained Behera.