Puri: In a tragic incident, two persons were killed as a car in which they were travelling collided with a tree on Gop-Konark Road in Odisha’s Puri district, late last night.

The deceased were identified as Biswajit Sahoo of Niali and Pradipta Behera of Bhubaneswar.

Tapas Sahu, the driver of the vehicle, sustained serious injuries in the accident. He suffered a fractured leg and was initially treated at Gop Hospital before being shifted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar, where his condition is stated to be critical.

According to reports, the accident occurred when the driver lost control over the wheels, causing it to crash into a mango tree. The occupants of the car were travelling from Bhubaneswar to Konark when the accident took place.

While the two died on the spot under the impact of the collision, locals rescued the driver and informed the local police about the mishap.

While the exact cause of the accident is yet to be confirmed, sources suggest high-speed driving may have led to the mishap. Police suspect that the driver may have fallen asleep while driving.