Kendrapara, July 20 (UDN): Two persons lost their lives and two others sustained critical injuries after a shrimp-laden container truck rammed into a stationary cement-laden truck on the Cuttack–Chandbali road near Kusunpur in Odisha’s Kendrapara district in the early hours of Monday.
According to preliminary reports, the cement-laden truck had been parked along the roadside when the speeding container truck carrying shrimp crashed into its rear, causing severe damage to the front portion of the vehicle.
Four persons were travelling in the container truck at the time of the accident. Two of them died on the spot due to the impact, while the remaining two suffered grievous injuries.
The deceased have been identified as Rabindra Jena, a resident of Talachua in Kendrapara district, and Shantanu Jena of Basudevpur in Bhadrak district.
The injured, identified as Swadhin Das of Basudevpur in Bhadrak district and Budhia Sahu of Nayagarh district, were initially rushed to the Nishchintakoili Community Health Centre. Owing to the seriousness of their injuries, they were later shifted to a hospital in Cuttack for advanced treatment.
Following the accident, local residents and police personnel reached the spot and launched rescue operations. The damaged vehicles were later removed to restore traffic on the busy highway.
Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the accident. Preliminary findings suggest that poor visibility or driver negligence may have contributed to the collision, though the exact circumstances will be established after the investigation.
The tragic mishap has once again highlighted concerns over road safety and the risks posed by stationary heavy vehicles on highways during nighttime travel.