Four persons were killed and another sustained critical injuries as a car by which they were travelling dashed against a roadside tree near Saradhapur under the Sadar police limits in Keonjhar district late on Monday night.
The accident took place at around 2 am while the five victims were returning home after attending Satsang, a religious programme, at Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district. The driver of the car lost control over the wheels, following which the car rammed into the tree.
The deceased were identified as Kalpataru Tirthabasi Parida, Principal of Odisha School of Mining and Engineering, Chaitanya Bikash Sahu, Vice-Principal of Gayatri Science College, Prashant Patra, an employee of BSNl and Rajesh Kumar Guru of Kendrapada.
Being informed, police and Fire Services personnel reached the spot and recovered the bodies from the car using gas cutters as the vehicle was mangled under the impact of the collision.
Driver Kamalakhya Parida, who was injured, was admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital.