Bhubaneswar: Close on the heels of Odisha government's announcement to make traffic rules stricter from March 1 in a bid to reduce the number of accidents, as many as eight people died today in separate road accidents across several districts of Odisha.
In Sambalpur, four persons were killed while six others were injured after a truck reportedly rammed into makeshift shops set up at a local fair during Dhanu Jatra festival in Parmanpur area under Sason Police limits of the district. While the accused driver fled the spot, police seized the truck. The injured were immediately shifted to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla.
In another road mishap, drivers of two trucks were killed after a head-on collision between the vehicles on national highway-57 at Gudguda chhak. One of the helpers suffered critical injury and was admitted to hospital.
A bike rider died and a woman suffered critical injuries after they were hit by an unknown vehicle at Dargaguda in Nabarangpur. The injured woman was later admitted to hospital. Similarly, in Rourkela's Basanti colony, a girl lost her life in a bike accident.