A horrifying spate of road accidents in a span of 24 hours claimed 13 lives across the state on Monday.
Four of the fatalities were reported in Bargarh district. The other deaths were reported from Sambalpur (3), Sundargarh and Keonjhar (two each), and Khurda and Balangir (one each).
The mishap in Bargarh was the most tragic as it claimed four members of a family, including a three-year-old child. Police said six members of a family from Ghati Jampali village under Binika police station limits were returning home after a wedding feast on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. A speeding MUV rammed into both motorcycles near a curve, killing four of them, near Mehena Chhak on the Godbhaga-Mahulpali road.
Police arrested the MUV driver, identified as Mukesh Patel, for allegedly driving the vehicle at high speed. The vehicle involved in the crash is reportedly associated with a liquor outlet.
In the second mishap, three youths were killed after their motorcycle collided head-on with a container truck near Dimirimunda Chhak under Jamankira police station limits in Sambalpur district on the day.
The impact was so severe that the bike was trapped under the container’s wheels. The collision also triggered a fire in the truck, completely torching the bike and the front portion of the container. All three youths riding the bike sustained critical injuries and were rushed to a hospital where they were declared dead.
The mishap led to a road blockade, with villagers demanding a permanent solution to frequent accidents on the stretch.
13 dead in six road accidents across dists
Vehicular movement was disrupted from around 10.30 am to 2 pm.
In Sundargarh district, a 15-year-old boy was among two persons who were killed after their bike rammed into a truck from behind on NH-143 near Goudini Chowk under Lahunipada police limits on Sunday evening. Police said it was also a case of triple riding.
A tragic road accident on NH-49 claimed the lives of a father-son duo near Tentuli village under Sadar police station of Keonjhar district. The mother was critically injured and is battling for life. The deceased were identified as Md Nurul and Md Sama (6). The three were returning home when Nurul lost control of the bike and collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction.
In Balangir, Simran Sarangi, a student of Balangir Government Ayurveda College, suffered critical injuries after she was hit by a biker while standing in front of the college on Sunday. She was rushed to a hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
A 35-year-old woman died while four others sustained injuries near NISER in Jatni on the outskirts of the state capital on the day. The mishap took place when a car collided with an autorickshaw carrying four persons.
Odisha recorded a staggering 6,483 road fatalities in 2025. In the last 10 years, the state has logged over 53,000 road accident deaths.
(Inputs from Sambalpur, Bargarh, Balangir, Keonjhar, Rourkela and Bhubaneswar)