Road Mishap Kills 7 Labourers From Odisha’s Ganjam; Naveen Announces Rs 2 Lakh Ex-Gratia

Bhubaneswar: In a tragic incident, seven labourers from Ganjam district were killed and over 20 injured — six of them seriously — when a Surat-bound private bus in which they were travelling collided head-on with a truck at Cheri Khedi in Raipur on Saturday.

Raipur’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Yadav shared the news, according to ANI.

While the identities of the deceased and injured were not known yet, all the injured passengers have been shifted to a government hospital in Raipur.

More details are awaited.

Expressing profound grief at the tragic death of seven labourers, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) to the next of kin of the deceased. He also announced free medical treatment for the injured and wished their speedy recovery.

The Chief Minister directed fellow minister Susanta Singh to immediately proceed to Raipur in Chhattisgarh to extend necessary assistance to the victims and asked the Director General of Police (DGP) to remain in touch with the Chhattisgarh DG for coordination.