Tragedy struck late Monday night when a highway truck collided with a pickup van during ongoing road construction near Rekula village.
The accident claimed three lives, including Public Works Department (PWD) employee Khirod Sahu, and left one person critically injured.
The incident occurred under the Kamakhyanagar police limits, sparking outrage among local residents. They alleged negligence on the part of the road contractor, who reportedly failed to enforce basic safety measures such as barricades or warning signs during night construction.
“We repeatedly requested the contractor to stop working without proper safety measures, but they ignored our concerns,” said a local resident.
Angry locals blocked the Dhenkanal-Kamakhyanagar highway early Tuesday morning, burning tyres and disrupting traffic. Police rushed to the scene to pacify the protesters and restore normalcy. Meanwhile, the injured victim is receiving treatment, and authorities have launched an investigation to determine accountability.
The contracting agency has yet to respond to the allegations.
