12 killed as truck falls off hill road into a gorge in Odisha, 25 injured

A mini truck carrying around 50 people from the Gadapur area of Kandhamal to Brahmanigaon to take part in a ‘priestly ordination’ of Church veered off the road at Bangadadua ghat road killing 12 .

At least 12 people were killed and more than 25 injured after a mini truck veered off a hilly road in Odisha’s Kandhamal district Tuesday morning.

Twelve people died when a mini truck carrying around 50 people from the Gadapur area of Kandhamal to Brahmanigaon to take part in a ‘priestly ordination’ of Church veered off the road at Bangadadua ghat road . (HT photo)

The deceased, including four women, and the injured were going to a nearby church for a meeting.

Odisha transport minister Nrusingha Sahu said that around 50 people from the Gadapur area of Kandhamal were going to Brahmanigaon to take part in a ‘priestly ordination’ of Church in a truck when it veered off the road at Bangadadua ghat road. The truck hurtled down a gorge killing six people on the spot.

The minister said that the driver of the vehicle was reportedly driving under the influence of alcohol. The death toll may go up as many of the injured are critical.

Locals immediately rushed to the spot and rescued the injured trapped inside the mangled mini truck. The Police and fire brigade teams rushed to the spot and took the injured people to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur town.

In 2018, as many as 5200 people died due in road mishaps in Odisha.