Mayurbhanj: Five persons died while 9 others were critically injured after a truck, carrying a Jatra troupe, overturned in Dwarasuni ghat area near Bangiriposi on NH 49 in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district amid heavy rain on Wednesday morning.
According to sources, the accident took when the driver lost control over the truck, en route to Jaleswar in Balasore district from Rairangpur, while navigating a turn, and plunged at least 20ft off the hilly road. The truck was also loaded with lights and other instrument worth around lakhs of rupees, belonging to Dhauli Gananatya, a jatra (dance drama) group.
On being informed, police reached the spot and rescued the injured trapped under the boxes. They were then taken to a hospital at Bangiriposi and later shifted to Raghunath Murmu Medical College & Hospital in Baripada.
The driver managed to escape from the spot, a police officer said.
