Four critically injured after Jatra troupe truck overturns in Odisha

Four people were injured after a truck belonging to a Jatra (theatre) troupe overturned near Goleipur under Panikoili police limits in Jajpur district, on Thursday. The fatal mishap occurred when the truck was returning after a jatra performance in Biruan village, carrying stage materials and equipment.

Also Read: Popular Jatra comedian Guru Prusty dies in road mishap in Bhadrak; fans mourn loss

According to sources, the vehicle suddenly went out of control and overturned on the road. Local residents rushed to the spot and rescued the injured persons, who were later shifted to Jajpur Community Health Centre for treatment.

Panikoili police reached the accident site soon after receiving information and have started a probe into the incident. The exact cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained.

However, no comments were received from the local police in this regard.

Worth mentioning, earlier in another incident, Jatra comedian and popular stage actor Guru Prusty had died in a road accident near Chingudipur on National Highway 16 while returning to Bhadrak town on a motorcycle on December 8 last year. He was then rushed to Bhadrak District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors had declared him ‘dead’.

Guru Prusty, well-known for his impeccable comic timing and commanding stage presence, had earned widespread admiration in the Odia jatra community from a young age. Over the years, he had performed with several leading troupes and became a recognised comedy artiste, entertaining audiences across Odisha.

The young comedian’s untimely demise had cast a pall of gloom over the jatra fraternity, with artistes and colleagues still struggling to come to terms with the loss of a rising talent.

“We found out that it happened due to a road accident. He had been working as a jatra artiste for over seven years. He started his career at Rangamal, worked for a year with the Biswadarbar troupe, and then joined Indrabhaban. He lived in Cuttack, though he hailed from the Mahanga region. He is survived by his wife, his three-year-old daughter and his mother,” a relative of Guru Prusty had said.