At least six persons, including four schoolchildren, were killed and eight others seriously injured when a Bolero in which they were traveling collided head-on with a truck at Tikilipada near Jamankira in Sambalpur district on Wednesday.
The deceased were identified as Jeebardhan Patra (26), Jitendra Das (12), Jyoti Majhi (8), Mukesh Pradhan (13), Mamata Majhi (8) and Kundru Pradhan (23). The injured persons have been admitted in the VSS Medical College Hospital at Burla, where their condition is stated to be critical.
According to reports, the mishap occurred at around 11 am when the schoolchildren were going to take admission at a school. The van carrying around 18 people was going to the Ardabahal Ashram School, a tribal residential school, in Kuchinda sub-division of the district from Dudhianali of Deogarh district when it collided with a grapes-laden truck, which was coming from opposite side, at Tikilipara.Some local people and the police rushed to the spot and rescued those trapped inside the van. The driver of the truck reportedly fled from the spot after the accident.