Sundargarh: In a tragic road accident, two truck drivers lost their lives after a head-on collision between two heavy vehicles triggered a massive fire at Chunaghati on National Highway-520 in Odisha’s Sundargarh district early on Saturday.

Deadly collision in wee hours

According to reports, a dump truck and a coal-laden truck collided head-on at Kundurupani Chhak in the accident-prone Chunaghati stretch under K. Balang police limits at around 2 am. The impact was so severe that both vehicles caught fire immediately.

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Vehicles reduced to ashes

The blaze rapidly engulfed the trucks, leaving them completely gutted. Fire services personnel from Koida, along with local police, rushed to the spot and managed to bring the fire under control after considerable effort.

Bodies retrieved after cutting vehicles

Police teams recovered the charred bodies of the two drivers by cutting open the mangled remains of the trucks using gas cutters. The identities of the deceased drivers are yet to be ascertained. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination.

Traffic disrupted on NH-520

The incident led to major traffic disruption on NH-520, with long queues of vehicles stranded on both sides of the highway for several hours.

Probe underway

Police have launched an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the collision, while efforts are on to establish the identities of the deceased.