Six people, including two children, died in a devastating road accident near Ladkapalli village under Purushottampur police limits in Ganjam district.
A passenger bus collided head‑on with an auto‑rickshaw on a narrow curve, leaving the vehicle mangled and the passengers trapped inside.
Firefighters reached the spot and used cutters to extract the victims from the wreckage. The bus, travelling from Angaragada toward Berhampur, struck the auto coming from the opposite direction with such force that it dragged the vehicle nearly 40 feet before hitting a roadside tree.
Police and rescue teams rushed the injured to Kodala Health Centre, where doctors declared six dead. Four others were shifted to MKCG Medical College in Berhampur for advanced treatment.
The deceased were identified as Malli Behera (75), Narasingha Behera (43), Ratani Behera (46), Nilabati Behera (45), Kiran Behera (10) and Sneha Behera (10). The injured included Babu Pradhan, Alaka Behera, Bhagya Behera and Jhilli Behera.
Purushottampur police registered Case No. 316/26 and began an investigation. The bus driver later surrendered at the police station along with the vehicle. All bodies were brought to Purushottampur for post‑mortem examination.
SDPO Sujit Nayak and IIC Kulamani Sethi supervised rescue operations at the site. The tragic crash has plunged the region into mourning and renewed calls for stricter road safety enforcement.
