Four persons were killed and another sustained grievous injuries when a speeding Hyva truck collided head on with a car by which they were travelling near Badaposi Square under the Sadar police station in Keonjhar district on Thursday.
The deceased were identified as former Ghatagaon block Chairperson Prakash Chandra Naik, his brother Chitta Ranjan Naik and two brothers of another family, Hrusikesh Singh and Narottam Singh, all from Pipilia village under the block, an official of the Sadar police station said.
According to eyewitness accounts, the mishap occurred in the evening when the car was on its way from Keonjhar town. Three occupants of the car died on the spot and the other succumbed at the District Headquarters Hospital.