8 killed, 2 injured in truck-auto collision

Jagatsinghpur: Eight persons were killed and two seriously injured when an auto rickshaw in which they were travelling collided head-on with a truck at Itapada Square in Jagatsinghpur district on Saturday morning.
The injured were rushed to Jagatsinghpur district headquarters hospital by locals. They were later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack when their condition deteriorated.
Police sources said the accident took place when 10 persons of Singitalia village in Machhagaon area were returning home in the auto rickshaw after attending Snana Yatra of Mahapurush Achyutananda at Nemala. Human negligence or over speeding is suspected to have led to the collision.
“Efforts are on to nab the truck driver, who fled the spot with the vehicle immediately after the accident,” a police officer said.
Demanding compensation for the family of the deceased, an irate mob blocked the Jagatsinghpur-Machhagaon road. Vehicular traffic was disrupted for nearly an hour because of the blockade.