Newborn among two killed in road mishap

Berhampur: A newborn baby was among two persons killed when an ambulance van carrying them collided head-on with an oil tanker on Bada Ghat road under Khallikote police limits in the wee hours today.

Reports said a baby boy was born to Laxman Reddy of Kainchapur village at Ganjam government hospital yesterday. But as the health of the newborn became critical, the hospital authorities referred the mother and the baby to the government hospital in Chhatrapur and later to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur.

But the doctors at the MKCG hospital, after examining the condition of the baby, referred him to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

Following the advice of the doctors, Shakuntala Reddy, mother of the baby and her brother Parsuram were on the way to Cuttack in an 102 Ambulance van when the driver lost control of the vehicle, which collided head-on with an oil tanker on Bada Ghat road.

While the baby and Parsuram died on the spot, Shakuntala sustained head injuries. Following information, Khallikote police rushed to the spot and admitted the injured mother to the government hospital at Khallikote.

The bodies were later taken to the hospital for post mortem.