New year revelry turns tragic: Women, her two children dead in Gajapati road accident

In a tragic road accident, a woman and her two young children were killed after a truck rammed into their car near Korlama Chhak, close to the Gajapati district border, on Tuesday. The incident occurred as the family was returning home after celebrating the New Year together, leaving the local community in shock and grief.

The deceased have been identified as Kanakalata Hansda, an Assistant Engineer with the Defence Department in Visakhapatnam, her eight-year-old daughter Adyasha, and her three-month-old infant son Sangram.

According to sources, Kanakalata’s husband, Hemant Murmu, a resident of Gunduriasahi under Udala police limits, is currently working in Boudh district. Kanakalata was employed in Visakhapatnam. To celebrate the New Year, she had travelled with her two children to be with her husband. After the holidays, the family was returning to Visakhapatnam when the mishap occurred.

Near Korlama Chhak, a speeding truck reportedly collided with their car with tremendous force. The impact was so severe that Kanakalata and her two children died on the spot. Two other occupants of the vehicle sustained critical injuries and were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Police reached the spot soon after the accident and initiated an investigation. The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination and will later be brought to Udala.

Following the death of the woman and her children, a pall of gloom has descended on their native village, with relatives and locals struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.

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“My daughter-in-law was working in Andhra Pradesh. She had come to meet her husband. While returning, she and her children died after their vehicle collided with a truck. The car driver and another woman are in critical condition and are undergoing treatment in Andhra Pradesh,” said Sankar Majhi, the uncle of the deceased.