Bhubaneswar: Expressing grief over the death of 8 persons in a road accident in Odisha's Keonjhar district, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today announced ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased.

The ex-gratia amount will be provided from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

Besides, the Chief Minister also declared free treatment for those who were injured in the road mishap.

At least eight persons were killed and 12 others sustained injuries as the van in which they were travelling hit a truck on NH-20 near Balijodi in Keonjhar district, this morning.

The deceased and the victims belong to Pudamari village in Ganjam district. As per reports, they were heading towards the Tarini Temple in Ghatagaon to have darshan of the deity. The ill-fated vehicle hit a stationary truck parked on roadside near Balijodi, around 3 km away from the temple.

The impact of the collision killed eight occupants of the van on the spot.

Though the reason behind the accident was yet to be ascertained, it is being suspected that poor visibility owing to foggy conditions might have led to the mishap.