In a tragic road accident in Odisha’s Kalahandi district, a rice-laden truck lost balance and fell off a 20-foot bridge near Dhepaguda forest under Biswanathpur police limits, killing the driver and seriously injuring the helper.
The incident occurred late Sunday night on State Highway 6, connecting Rayagada to Visakhapatnam. According to reports, the truck was heading from Rayagada to Visakhapatnam when it lost balance while trying to give way to another truck coming from the opposite direction near an unfinished bridge in the Dhepaguda forest area under Lanjigarh block.
The vehicle hit two roadside trees before plunging off the bridge and crashing into the forest below.
Upon receiving the information, Sikerkupa outpost officer Min Ketan Sabar and constable Biswanath Mahala reached the spot. With help from the Lanjigarh fire services, the injured helper was rescued first and rushed to Biswanathpur Community Health Centre (CHC) via ambulance.
The driver, however, was trapped inside the mangled truck, requiring joint rescue efforts by Biswanathpur police and Bhawanipatna Fire Department. After a six-hour-long operation, the critically injured driver was pulled out and shifted to the Bhawanipatna District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The injured helper, after initial treatment at Biswanathpur CHC, was also shifted to Bhawanipatna DHH due to the severity of his condition.
A case has been registered at Biswanathpur Police Station, and investigation is underway. According to Biswanathpur IIC Bijayraj Majhi, the post-mortem will be conducted in Bhawanipatna once the driver’s family members arrive on Tuesday.
