TV
In a horrifying late-night road mishap, at least 20 people sustained injuries, four of them critically, when a passenger van was hit from behind by a speeding Hyva truck on Bolangir-Sonepur National Highway 57 near Jhinki Pantheni. The accident took place while the group was en route to Puri from Sagarapali village in Sonepur district.
According to reports, a group of 20, including the driver, had hired a Winger van to travel to the holy town of Puri. As the vehicle neared the Jhinki Pantheni area, a highway truck coming at high speed from behind rammed into the van with brutal force, reducing it to a mangled heap of metal. The impact was so severe that passengers were trapped inside, many of them crushed between twisted iron rods and shattered seats.
Soon after receiving information, local police and fire services personnel rushed to the spot. Firefighters used gas cutters to tear open the van and rescue the injured passengers, many of whom were bleeding and in shock. The victims were then rushed to the nearest hospital while four critically injured individuals were shifted to Hospital for advanced care. Among the injured are several women and at least four children.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as heart-wrenching, with cries of pain echoing through the dark stretch of the highway. “We heard a loud crash and rushed to the spot. The van was completely destroyed, and people were screaming for help,” said a local resident.
What’s more shocking is that the truck responsible for the collision fled the scene immediately after the crash. Police have launched an investigation and are scanning CCTV footage from nearby toll gates and highway surveillance systems to trace the absconding vehicle and its driver.
“The vehicle was parked and a speeding heavy vehicle came and rammed into our vehicle,” said the driver of the passenger vehicle.
Preliminary reports suggest that overspeeding and possible driver negligence could be the causes behind the accident. The stretch where the mishap occurred is known for poor lighting and lack of traffic enforcement, raising questions about the safety of night travel on Odisha's highways.
