Paralakhemundi: At least 17 people, including eight children and three women, were injured after an auto-rickshaw fell nearly 10 feet down a slope in Odisha’s Gajapati district on Monday.
Sources said the accident occurred near Jarau ghat under the Mohana police limits, when the vehicle lost balance, hit a roadside electric pole and overturned before plunging down the slope at the Ganjam-Gajapati district border.
All the injured, including the driver, were rescued and admitted to MKCG Medical C
ollege and Hospital in Berhampur. The condition of five of them is stated to be serious.
Police said the auto-rickshaw was travelling from Govindapur to Badagada carrying 17 passengers at the time of the accident. Personnel from fire services units in Mohana and Badagada rushed to the spot and carried out rescue operations.
Following the accident, the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) of Gajapati conducted a preliminary inquiry and found that the auto-rickshaw was overloaded beyond its capacity.
As per the findings, the auto was carrying the number of passengers beyond the permissible level. Therefore, it lost balance and overturned, an official statement said.
As the auto-rickshaw is registered in Ganjam, the Gajapati RTO sent a recommendation to the counterpart in Ganjam to cancel the registration and fitness certificates of the three-wheeler. Steps are also being taken for further action.