9 killed, 13 seriously injured as pick-up truck overturns in Odisha's Koraput

Police suspect the driver of the pick-up truck was over-speeding.

Published on: Jan 31, 2021, 23:16:42 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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At least nine people were killed and 13 others were seriously injured after their pick-up truck overturned near Murtahandi in Koraput district on Sunday evening, police said.

The pick-up truck was carrying more than 20 people when it overturned (Representational image/HT PHOTO)

More 20 people were on their way to Nagarnar in Bastar district of Chhatisgarh after attending the 10th day post-death rituals of a relative in Kotpad when the pick-up overturned at Murtahandi on National Highway 326. Police suspect the driver was over-speeding.

Koraput’s superintendent of police (SP) Varun Guntupalli said the identities of the deceased are yet to be ascertained. "More than a dozen people with serious head injuries have been rescued and sent to hospital All of them are critical. The death toll may rise further," he said.

One person succumbed to injuries shortly after the SP expressed apprehension that the death toll could rise

All the injured have been admitted to the Laxman Nayak medical college and hospital in Koraput.

Eyewitnesses said the pick-up truck carried more than its capacity and many were standing when the vehicle toppled over.

In a similar mishap Sunday afternoon, four labourers were seriously injured when the pick-up truck they were travelling in toppled over after hitting a wild boar in Kanika forest of Sundargarh district. At least 16 labourers were on board the pick-up truck.

In 2020, at least 4,800 people were killed in Odisha in road mishaps compared to 5,333 in 2019, according to official records. Last year, the number of road accidents in the State was around 9,500 as against 11,064 in 2019. The number of fatal accidents in Odisha has gone up by over 20 per cent between 2016 and 2019.

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

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