Puri: A man sustained critical injuries after the SUV he was driving plunged from the first floor of the Jagannath Ballav multi-level car parking facility in Puri today.

The injured driver, a resident of the Dhamara area, reportedly lost control while reversing his vehicle into a parking slot. The SUV, still in reverse gear, slipped off the edge in the absence of a guard wall and crashed to the ground.

Eyewitnesses said the vehicle appeared unstable during the manoeuvre before toppling over. Hearing a loud crash, locals rushed to the spot and pulled the driver out of the badly damaged vehicle. He was immediately shifted to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital in critical condition.

The incident has raised questions over safety measures at the structure, particularly the absence of protective barriers.