Five people died and three pedestrians were critically injured after a speeding truck hit two-wheelers in Berhampur.
Police said the truck was travelling on the wrong side; the vehicle has been seized and the driver detained.
CM Mohan Charan Majhi announced ₹4 lakh compensation for victims’ families and ordered best care for the injured.
At least five persons died and three others were critically injured when a speeding truck ran over three two-wheelers in Odisha’s Ganjam district on Saturday, police said.
The accident took place at Haldiapadar on National Highway-16 that passes through Berhampur city.
"All five accident victims were received dead", MKCG Medical College and Hospital superintendent Durga Madhab Satapathy said.
Initially police had said six persons were injured in the accident, but it was later found that three were injured and all of them pedestrians, police said.
Southern Range IG Niti Sekhar said that the truck was travelling on wrong side of the highway when it ploughed through the motorcycles.
The accident was so severe that the bodies of the deceased were found scatted on the National Highway, he said.
Traffic on NH-16 was halted for several hours following the accident.
Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said the truck has been seized and its driver detained.
"The exact cause of the accident will be known only after a thorough investigation," he said.
The bodies of the deceased were handed over to their families after post-mortem examination, he said.
The deceased have been identified as Suray Narayan Panda (41) of Ayodhya Nagar, Sibaram Jena (35) of Gunthubandh, Jaga Nahak (20) and Rakesh Nahak (22) of Phulta and Satya Narayan Bej of Khariaguda near Jarada, police said.
Taking to X, CMO Odisha said, "Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has expressed grief after learning about the loss of lives in a tragic road accident at Haldiapadar near Berhampur in Ganjam district." The CMO added that Majhi also announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the deceased from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF).
The CM has directed authorities to ensure best medical care to all the injured, it added.
Leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in separate social media posts also expressed grief over the death of the five persons in the accident.
