BHUBANESWAR / JEYPORE / BERHAMPUR / BALASORE : In a tragic incident, three minor girls were killed after the bus they were travelling in collided head-on with a truck, reportedly driven by its helper under the influence of alcohol, in Nayagarh district on Friday night.
While two girls died on the spot, another succumbed in a hospital during treatment. The victims were identified as Amrita Sahoo (13), Chinmayee Priyadarshini (15) and Lopamudra Pradhan (15). Six other passengers also suffered injuries in the mishap. Two of them were shifted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar.
The accident took place at around 11.15 pm within Banigocha police limits. Nayagarh SP Rahul Jain and Transport department officials rushed to the spot to investigate the matter.
As per police, the accident occurred in Salabhanga forest amid fog. Officials said the truck was being driven by its helper who was reportedly in an inebriated state, while the driver was sitting by him. The truck collided head-on with the bus and went on to brush the right side of the passenger vehicle. The three victims and the injured were sitting on the side of the bus which was hit by the heavy vehicle, said the police.
“A coaching institute in Daspalla had hired the bus for an excursion-cum-study tour to Harishankar and other places in Balangir district. Around 40 passengers including students and parents had started the journey at 10.30 pm,” said a senior police officer.
The truck’s helper and driver have been detained and the vehicle seized. A thorough investigation has been launched and further action will be initiated accordingly. Transport department officials said police have been requested to book the duo under section 304 of IPC.
The mishap in Nayagarh was one of the four major accidents reported between Friday and Saturday that claimed at least nine lives.
In Jeypore, three persons were killed and 10 others sustained critical injuries after a Scorpio hit three vehicles near Bijapur village within Borigumma police limits. The SUV was on its way from Jagdalpur when it hit two bikes and an autorickshaw on NH-56. Two women and a biker were killed in the mishap. The injured were rushed to Borigumma community health centre and district headquarters hospital in Jeypore.
Similarly, a father-daughter duo was killed when a speeding bike hit their scooter at Batagram under Kamarda police station of Balasore on Friday evening. The deceased Surya Patra and his daughter Barsha Patra (21) were on way home when the mishap took place. Barsha died on the spot while her father succumbed during treatment.
In Gajapati district, an eight-year-old boy was killed and his parents sustained grievous injuries as the motorcycle on which they were riding was hit by a car at Turanipani village within Adava police limits on the day.