DHENKANAL: Two persons died and three others sustained serious injuries when the tractor they were riding in turned turtle in Tipilei reserve forest on Thursday. The deceased have been identified as Prafulla Samal, 47 and Harihara Samal, 60, both from Sura Pratapur village under Bhuban police station.
The injured are Jaladhara Swain, Raja Puhana and Umasankar Roul of the same village. They have been shifted to Dhenkanal district hospital for treatment.
According to reports, all five persons had gone to the forest to collect wood for some religious yajna. While returning, the accident occurred. Local people who gathered on the spot shifted the injured to the Mathakaragola and Hindol hospitals where two persons were declared dead. The injured were shifted to Dhenkanal.
“On being informed, we rushed to the spot. But by then the locals had shifted the injured to hospitals in Mathakaragola. Two persons died in the hospital while the three others who had sustained serious injuries were shifted to Dhenkanal district headquarters hospital. We have seized the vehicle but the driver is absconding,” said Soubhagya Swain, IIC of Bhuban police station.