Umerkote witnessed a tragic road accident on the Bharatmala highway that claimed three lives, including a 10-year-old child, and left more than five people injured.
The collision occurred when two cars crashed head-on near Umerkote late Monday evening.
The deceased were identified as Ashutosh Rath, Arun Panda, and Subrata Satapathy. All three died on the spot. Reports stated that relatives from Sunabeda in Koraput district were returning after attending a family feast at contractor Shiva Satapathy’s house in Chitabeda village of Nabarangpur district. Their car (OD10 AC 9416) collided with another vehicle (OD08 S 8026) carrying wedding guests from Moter in Kalahandi district to Raighar.
The impact of the crash was severe, killing three instantly and injuring several others. The injured included Bansidhar Panda, Biswajit Panda, Gajanan Das (31), Jitendra Sarap (36), and Swastik Korap (36). Bansidhar Panda and Biswajit Panda sustained critical injuries and were referred to Koraput for advanced treatment.
The Umerkote Fire Services team rushed to the site and rescued the injured, shifting them to Umerkote Sub-Divisional Hospital. Police also reached the spot and began an investigation into the cause of the accident. Officials suspect that the other car entered the wrong route, leading to the collision.
