One dead, 24 injured after pick-up van with kids to Republic Day parade turns turtle in Cuttack

CM Mohan Charan Majhi has announced paying Rs 3 lakh to Behera’s kin from the Chief Minister Relief Fund.
Police and locals gathered at the mishap site in Saranda
Police and locals gathered at the mishap site in Saranda Photo| Express
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CUTTACK: In a tragic incident, a Class X student of Banki’s Malabiharpur high school was killed and 24 others sustained injuries after a pick-up van in which they were travelling to a Republic Day parade venue at Saranda, overturned on Sunday morning.

The deceased, Soumya Ranjan Behera of Dhenkanal, stayed at his uncle’s house in Malabiharpur. The school authorities had reportedly arranged for the pick-up van to carry them to the venue. However owing to the dense fog, the driver allegedly lost balance mid-way following which the vehicle turned turtle at Kaligodi turning point near Khanduka bridge on Malabiharpur-Ansupa Road.

While Behera was killed on the spot, the 24 injured students were initially rushed to the nearby Subarnapur community health centre and later taken to Athagarh sub-divisional hospital. Five of them who suffered critical injuries were shifted to SCB Medical College and hospital.

Following the incident, Banki Block Education Officer (BEO) Santosh Kumar Sethi placed school headmaster Kanhu Charan Sahoo and assistant teacher Srinibas Behera under suspension for negligence. As per district education officer (DEO) Santosh Kumar Rout, the students had refused to travel in the pick-up van but were forced to, after being threatened by the assistant teacher.

Police seized the vehicle and arrested its driver Gaganananda Prusty (32) on Monday. Meanwhile, Cuttack collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde provided Rs 25,000 to the deceased’s family from the Red Cross Fund and ordered a probe into the incident.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has also announced paying Rs 3 lakh to Behera’s kin from the Chief Minister Relief Fund and another Rs 2 lakh provided by the School and Mass Education (SME) department. The injured students will receive Rs 30,000 in financial aid from the department.

Secretary of SME department, Shalini Pandit visited the injured students on Sunday and ordered for a collector-level probe into the incident.

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