Baripada: In a double accident on National Highway-18 near Palabani in Baripada town of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, two people were killed and five others critically injured late Friday night when a speeding dumper truck ploughed into a group of rescuers and media personnel gathered at the site of an earlier mishap.
The sequence began when a timber-laden pick-up van or truck lost control and overturned on the highway. Local residents, police, forest department staff, and media teams, including video journalists, quickly arrived to assist with the rescue and cover the incident.
While efforts were underway to clear the overturned vehicle, a fast-moving dumper truck reportedly lost control, climbed over the overturned timber vehicle, and rammed directly into the crowd. The impact killed two people on the spot and left five others with severe injuries. All injured were rushed to PRM Medical College and Hospital in Baripada.
Among the critically injured are three cameramen from Odia news channels. One has been identified as Lalit Barik, a cameraman for a vernacular channel, who was later shifted from PRM Medical College and Hospital in Baripada to Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment due to the seriousness of his condition. The identities of the two deceased are yet to be officially confirmed.
Police have seized the dumper truck involved in the second crash and launched an investigation to determine the exact cause.
