BERHAMPUR: Four people, including a President’s Award-winning dance teacher, were killed and four others sustained serious injuries in two separate road accidents in Ganjam and Rayagada districts in the last 24 hours.
President’s Award-winning dance teacher Sasmita Panda, Sukumar Bhuyan of Kolkata and Somonath Das of Rajkanika in Kendrapara district were killed after the scooter they were travelling on reportedly suffered brake failure and crashed into an electric pole near Shefali Hill in Rayagada district. Sasmita had reportedly travelled to the Shiva temple at Shefali hill near Gunupur along with Somonath and Sukumar late on Friday evening. While returning from the temple, the scooter’s brakes allegedly failed, causing it to crash into an electric pole.
All three victims were rescued and taken to Gunupur sub-divisional hospital. Somonath succumbed to his injuries during treatment, while Sasmita died near Paralakhemundi while being shifted to another hospital for advanced medical care. Sukumar, who was shifted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar, also succumbed to his injuries.
According to sources, two auditors, including one from Kolkata, had come to audit her dance institution in Gunupur. She had taken them to Shefali hill for a visit when the accident occurred. Police have launched an investigation into the accident.
In another incident, a 45-year-old man was killed and four others suffered injuries after two motorcycles collided head-on near Jogimari village under Bhanjanagar police limits in Ganjam district. The deceased was identified as Santosh Kumar Gouda (45) of Pantikhari village under Belaguntha police station.
Police said Santosh had visited his in-laws’ house at Bahadapadar with his wife and daughter. While they were returning home on a motorcycle in the evening, their vehicle collided head-on with another motorcycle coming from the opposite direction at a sharp bend near Jogimari village. The riders of the second motorcycle were Chandrakanta Swain and Jitendra Pradhan of Sanakodanda village.
Locals rushed all the injured to a hospital in an ambulance. Doctors declared Santosh dead on arrival. His daughter suffered a fractured right leg and multiple serious injuries, while the other victims are undergoing treatment.
Eyewitnesses alleged that the two youths riding the other motorcycle were under the influence of alcohol, leading to the accident. However, police said the allegation would be verified during the investigation. Both motorcycles have been seized.
