Truck, Hywa catch fire after collision, truck helper charred to death

Sambalpur: A truck helper was charred to death after the vehicle collided head on with a hywa at Sambalpur-Sonepur road near Shankar Math in Bhatra of Sambalpur district at around 2 am today.

According to sources, the impact of the accident was so severe that both the vehicles caught fire immediately. After getting information, fire brigade rushed to the spot and doused the fire, but within that time, the helper stuck inside the truck, had already died.

Chief Fire Officer, Gangadhar Acharya said, “We got information at about 2.15 am that a truck and hywa have collided and caught fire. We rushed two units to the spot immediately and started dousing the fire as quickly as possible. But we came to know later that the helper was trapped inside one of the vehicles and burnt alive.”

Though the identity of the helper is yet to be established, he is said to be a resident of Telimunda village under Deogarh district. The driver of the truck, identified as Nimai Sahu, has sustained serious injuries and admitted to a nearby hospital.

Talking to OTV, Sahu said, “The hywa flashed its high beam head light and I also flashed mine but the vehicle sped towards me and crashed. Fire caught immediately and I got stuck under the steering which is why my hands and legs have been burnt.”

The driver and helper of the hywa have fled the spot after the accident. Dhanupali police reached and started an investigation.