Jharsuguda: Five police personnel were killed and three others sustained critical injuries when a speeding trailer truck collided head-on with the patrol vehicle on National Highway 49 in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district early Sunday morning.
The deceased have been identified as Armed Police Reserve (APR) personnel NPR Kashiram Bhoi and Debadutta Sa, drill sub-inspector Niranjan Kujur, APR Havildar Lingaraj Dhurua, and Home Guard Bhaktabandhu Mirdha. All the deceased were in their 40s. The 3 critically injured, Dubaraj Mirig and Akash Naik, both from APR, and Sergeant Rajib Bharasagar, are receiving treatment at Jharsuguda district headquarters hospital.
According to sources, the accident took place at around04.30 am in front of Jharsuguda Sadar police station, when the police vehicle, carrying eight personnel from Lakhanpur police limits, was struck by the gravel-laden truck en route to Chhattisgarh. The impact was so severe that the SUV was mangled beyond recognition, with debris scattered across the highway.
Locals and police teams rushed to the scene and pulled out the bodies from the mangled remains of the vehicle. The injured personnel were immediately shifted to the district headquarters hospital for treatment. Their condition is stated to be serious.
Jharsuguda SP Gundala Reddy Raghavendra confirmed that the truck driver has been arrested and is being questioned to determine the cause of the accident. Preliminary investigation points to possible reckless driving or speeding, with police also examining factors such as driver fatigue or potential mechanical issues.
The bodies of the deceased cops have been sent for postmortem.
“Today, a tragic incident occurred in Jharsuguda in which we lost 5 police personnel. We will investigate why this incident happened and ensure that necessary steps are taken so that such incidents do not occur in the future,” Jharsuguda collector Chavan Kunal Motiram told the media.
Senior police officers, including the SP, and the local MLA visited the hospital to meet the injured and console the families.
Chief Minister Mohan Majhi and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also took to X to express grief over the accident.
“I am deeply grieved and heartbroken to learn of the untimely demise of 5 dedicated police personnel in a tragic road accident that occurred in Jharsuguda. I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families during this sorrowful time. Along with praying for the eternal peace of the departed souls, I pray to the Almighty for the swift recovery of others injured in the accident,” the CM posted.
Majhi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) to the next of kin of each police personnel who lost their lives.
In his post, Dharmendra wrote: “Hearing the news of the death of police personnel in a horrific road accident in Jharsuguda, I am deeply saddened and heartbroken. While praying for the eternal peace of the departed soul, I extend my condolences to the bereaved family members. May the Almighty grant infinite strength and courage to the family during this hour of grief. I also pray for the swift recovery of the injured.”
