Tragic Road Accident Claims Lives of 11-Year-Old Sivananda Mahapatra and 21-Year-Old Puja Sahu in Odisha

Two people, including an 11-year-old boy, were killed in a tragic road accident in Panikoili, a town in the Jajpur district of Odisha, India. The victims have been identified as 11-year-old Sivananda Mahapatra and 21-year-old Puja Sahu.

According to local sources, the victims and their family members were traveling in an auto rickshaw to visit the famous Jagannath temple in Puri. Unfortunately, a speeding van crashed into their vehicle from behind on National Highway 16, near a petrol pump in the Panikoili police station area, at around 4 a.m.

The impact of the collision resulted in the immediate death of two individuals, while the injured were quickly rushed to the Jajpur District Headquarters Hospital for treatment. However, due to the severity of their injuries, two of the injured were referred to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for advanced medical care. The police have identified the vehicle responsible for the accident and assured that the driver will be apprehended soon.

Locals are expressing their concerns over the lack of safety measures in the area. They claim that seven people have lost their lives in separate road incidents at this very spot throughout the year. They argue that the local administration has failed to take any action, such as installing signs or removing roadside vendors, to prevent such accidents from occurring.

The incident has caused shock and grief among the community, as they mourn the loss of two innocent lives. The local authorities are urged to address the safety issues promptly to prevent further tragedies on this stretch of the highway.

This unfortunate accident serves as a reminder of the importance of road safety and the need for continuous efforts to improve infrastructure and enforce traffic regulations to protect lives on the road.