Koraput: In a tragic road mishap, three persons lost their lives and two others sustained injuries in a head-on collision between two SUVs near Sunabeda in Odisha’s Koraput district late Saturday night.

The deceased have been identified as Bikash Patra, Dibya Ranjan Rana, and Asutosh Patra — all residents of Sunabeda town in Koraput.

The accident occurred around 11:15 PM on NH-26, when a mini SUV carrying four individuals from Similiguda to Sunabeda collided head-on with another SUV that was travelling from Koraput to Damanjodi, carrying a family.

While Bikash, Dibya, and Asutosh died on the spot, Kailash Harijan, who was also in the mini SUV, sustained critical injuries and was shifted to Visakhapatnam for treatment. The driver of the other SUV was also injured, though his condition is yet to be confirmed.

Fortunately, the family in the second SUV escaped with minor injuries as the airbags deployed during the crash, mitigating the impact.

Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the collision.