Bhubaneswar: Senior photojournalist Ashok Panda died in a road accident near Sakhigopal while on his way to cover Rath Yatra in Puri on Friday.
According to sources, Panda was heading towards Puri when a vehicle hit his motorcycle near Satasankha around 5 am. The 57-year-old was rushed to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar, where he succumbed to his injuries.
He was the Chief Staff Photographer of Odia daily Samaya and also contributed photographs to several other publications and websites.
A native of Baisingha in Mayurbhanj, Panda started his career as a photojournalist with Eastern Press Agency in 1984 after completing a diploma in Photography and Videography from State Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training.
He later joined Samaya in 1996 and also contributed to The Asian Age, The Times of India, and several other publications.
He won a photography contest organised by the I & B Ministry in 2000 and the best photojournalist award at the Odisha Media Conclave in 2018.
A pal of gloom descended on the media fraternity after the news of Panda’s demise broke.
