Berhampur: Six persons, including two children, of an extended family died and five others were critically injured when a speeding bus collided with an overloaded auto-rickshaw near Ladkapalli Square under Purushottampur police limits in Ganjam district on Friday morning.
The deceased have been identified as Mali Behera (75), Narasingha Behera (43), Ratani Behera, Lilabati Behera (45), Sneha Behera (10), and Kiran Behera (8).
According to sources, the auto-rickshaw was carrying around 11 passengers from Erendra village in Chikiti block under K Nuagaon police limits. The group was heading to Maa Singhasani Peetha at Polsara on a religious visit, when the bus struck the auto-rickshaw at around 7.30-8 am, dragging it for several metres and smashing it against a roadside tree. Five persons died on the spot under the impact of the collision.
Locals rushed to the spot and assisted police and fire service personnel from Purushottampur in rescuing the injured, who were immediately shifted to the Kodala Community Health Centre, where another person succumbed. Five others continue to receive care at the hospital for critical injuries.
Police have seized the bodies for postmortem examination and efforts are underway to apprehend the bus driver, who fled the scene soon after the accident. Both the bus and the auto-rickshaw have been seized.
In a statement, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the departed souls to rest in peace. To support the families affected by the tragedy, Majhi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) to the nearest kin of the deceased.
The Chief Minister has also directed officials to ensure the best possible medical treatment for those injured in the accident and wished for their speedy and complete recovery.
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