Woman dead, 13 others injured after pickup van overturns in Odisha’s Kalahandi

M Rampur: A woman was killed on the spot today evening and 13 others sustained grievous injuries as a pickup van on which they were travelling turned turtle while negotiating a turning near Kendu Ghat on NH-59, which passes through M Rampur in Kalahandi district.

The deceased was identified as Janani Patra, who belonged to Sunagaon village of Kandhamal.

According to a source, some men and women from Sunagaon village had come to a flattened rice mill in Anlapali village under M Rampur block in the morning. They were on their way back home by an ill-fated pickup van in the evening when they met with a fatal road mishap.

Driver of the pickup van lost control of the vehicle leading to the overturn, an eyewitness said.

A total of 13 persons were injured, of which the condition of seven are said to be critical now.

On being informed, a team of police and local fire services personnel reached the spot and rescued the injured, and sent them to the community health centre (CHC) in M Rampur for treatment.

Seven of them were later shifted to the district headquarters hospital (DHH) in Bhawanipatna after their condition deteriorated. Police have launched a probe into the road mishap.