New Year revelry turned tragic with nine persons, including six students, being killed in separate road accidents in the state.
The most fatal accident occurred in Balangir district in which six technical students died. Another injured student was battling for his life in a hospital. The accident took place near Kareldhua village in Saintala police station area when the victims’ speeding car dashed into a roadside tree after the driver lost control. Police said the deceased were going to a dhaba at Belgaon on the Bargarh-Bariguma highway to celebrate New Year’s Day.
According to eyewitnesses, three students were killed on the spot. Two others died in a Balangir hospital and the sixth succumbed to his injuries on way to VSS Medical College and Hospital in Burla.
The deceased were identified as Sudeb Singhdeo (18) of Ragbatipada, Subham Mahakud (21) of Rugudaipara, Sankar Pradhan (19) of Udaynargarpada, Amit Badua of Thikadarpara, Ajit Bag (21) of Santipara and Paritosh Singh (17) of Udaynagarpara of Balangir town. The injured student, Gangan Nayak of Rugudipara, was admitted in VSS Medical College and Hospital in a critical condition. They were all students of a technical institute in Balangir.
Meanwhile, two persons were killed and four injured in a head-on collision between two cars at Tangi near Khurda. Similarly, another person died in an accident in Nayagarh.
