8 killed, 7 critical as van rams into parked truck in Odisha’s Keonjhar

Police said the van with 20 passengers from a village in Ganjam district was on its way to Maa Tarini shrine in the Ghatagaon area of Keonjhar when it rammed into a truck parked by the roadside

Published on: Dec 1, 2023, 13:52:16 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Eight people were killed and seven critically injured after the van they were travelling in rammed into a stationary truck on National Highway-20 in Odisha’s Keonjhar district on Friday morning, police said.

25,934 people have lost their lives in road accidents in Odisha between 2018 and 2022 (Representative Photo)

Police said the van with 20 passengers from a village in Ganjam district was on its way to Maa Tarini shrine in the Ghatagaon area of Keonjhar when it rammed into a truck parked by the roadside.

“The van was speeding when the accident happened. As it was foggy, it is likely that the driver could not see the truck,” said Keonjhar superintendent of police (SP) Kusalkar Nitin Dagudu.

The deceased belonged to two families from Podamari village of Ganjma district, said police, adding the injured were admitted to Ghatagaon hospital for treatment and later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after their health deteriorated.

Hundreds of iron ore-laden trucks parked on the National Highway to Barbil and Joda in Keonjhar district often lead to accidents.

In November, state commerce and transport minister Tukuni Sahu told the assembly that 25,934 people lost their lives in road accidents in Odisha between 2018 and 2022. A total of 54,790 accidents were reported in the state, he said.

The state government has spent Rs.15.68 crore on solatium to the victims during the five years.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More