A family outing to distribute wedding invitations turned fatal when their car rammed into a stationary ash-loaded truck on National Highway 55, resulting in the deaths of three individuals.
The incident, which occurred in Naksapali village under Dhanupali police station, has sparked outrage over illegal parking and lax enforcement on busy highways.
Local residents and police rushed to the scene, but rescue efforts were complicated by the wreckage. Fire department personnel worked for over two hours, using gas cutters to extricate the victims. One person died at the spot, while the other two were rushed to Burla Medical College and Hospital in critical condition. Doctors declared one dead on arrival, and the third succumbed during treatment.
Tension escalated at the accident site and the hospital as family members and locals demanded strict action against the truck driver and authorities. Protesters alleged that the truck was illegally parked on the highway for hours without any intervention, highlighting a broader issue of inadequate checks on heavy vehicles.
Authorities attribute the crash partly to high speed, but public sentiment points to unsafe transportation practices and rampant illegal parking as the root causes.
Police have seized both vehicles and launched an investigation. The bodies have been sent for postmortem, and efforts are underway to identify the third victim.
