Rayagada: An elderly woman died in the early hours of Sunday as a tanker rammed into three houses at Gumma village under Rayagada Sadar police limits in Odisha after its brakes failed.
The deceased has been identified as Lakshmi Patra. She was sleeping in a thatched house at the time of the crash.
According to sources, the accident took place at around 3 am while the vehicle was en route to Rayagada from Tikiri. The driver, Deepak Kujur, was trapped inside the vehicle and sustained critical injuries. He has been admitted to district headquarters hospital here.
Following the incident, irate villagers staged a protest and blocked NH 326, stalling vehicular traffic between Koraput and Rayagada. They demanded compensation for the bereaved family and the damages.
Meanwhile, local police have reached the spot and are trying to pacify the agitators.