Jagatsinghpur: At least eight persons were killed and three others injured in a head-on collision between an auto rickshaw and a Hywa on Jagatsinghpur-Machhagaon road near Chandol Square in Jagatsinghpur district today.
According to sources, the mishap occurred when 10 persons from Machagaon were returning after attending the rituals of Deba Snana Purnima at Nemala Matha in Cuttack in the early hours on Saturday.
The speeding Hywa truck that was coming from the opposite direction hit the autorickshaw killing seven of the passengers, including a 12-year-old girl on the spot and another died while undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital today. The deceased have been identified as Sura Das, Khola Jena, Dhaneswar Sahu, Chandramani Sahu, Sarat Pal, Sudhir Behera and Jagseni Behera.
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The three persons, who were injured in the accident, were earlier rushed to District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) in Jagatsinghpur. Later, they were shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after their condition deteriorated.
The Hywa driver fled from the spot after the accident and police have initiated a probe. A road blockade has been staged by the locals demanding compensation for those killed in the road mishap. Adequate police force has been deployed at the spot to maintain law and order.
As per latest information, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for the family of the deceased and free treatment for the injured.