Three persons, including two women, belonging to a family of West Bengal died and two others were seriously injured on Tuesday after the ambulance in which they were returning with a patient to their native Medinapur collided with a stationary truck on NH-5 under the Simulia police station at about 3 am.
Two victims, who died on the spot, were the patient Wahajan Biwi (45) and her husband Sk Manman (52). The third one who succumbed to her injuries at the Bhadrak district hospital was Barjan Biwi (70).
The tragedy took place near Kukura Chhak between Jamjhadi and Markona. The ambulance was carrying five persons. The driver Padmanabh Aich and the other occupant of the vehicle Sk Okil (32) were seriously injured and were ultimately transferred to the SCB Medical College Hospital, Cuttack.
Sources said the victims belonged to the village Kadhai in Medinapur district. The patient had been undergoing treatment at a nursing home in Bhubaneswar.
“The driver could have dozed off while driving. A case has been registered. The family members of the victims are being contacted,” said Simulia PS IIC Ramchandra Singh.