Odisha: 5 of family killed in car-truck collision on Sambalpur-Bolangir highway

Five members of a family, including two children, were killed in a road accident on late Tuesday night in Odisha’s Bolangir district, police said.

According to officials, the family was returning home after attending a marriage function late Tuesday night when their car rammed into a stationary truck near Chhuinbancha Square on Sambalpur-Bolangir National Highway-26.

Atmaj (25), his sister Ipsita Sai, nieces Ria Sai and Mahi Sai and cousin brother Diptiranjan Sai were killed on the spot while his mother Arati Nayak and sister-in-law Rashmita Sai were critically injured, said police. The injured were rescued and moved to a nearby hospital with help from locals, they said.

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Road accidents in Odisha increased by 7.6% between 2011 and 2022, statistics released by the state commerce and transport department said. Besides, deaths due to road accidents increased by 24.91% in January and February 2023 compared to January and February of the year 2022, it said. Districts like Deogarh, Gajapati, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kendrapada, Khorda, Malkanagire and Nuapada witnessed growth in fatalities by more than 50%, it added.

To stem the rising number of accidents, the Odisha government has announced an increase in fund flow for raising awareness on road safety.

State commerce and transport secretary Usha Padhee said all the districts are being impressed upon from time to time to initiate education, engineering, enforcement and emergency care measures for the reduction of road accidents and fatalities in the districts.

“It has been decided to provide funds to the DRSCs [District Road Safety Committees] for taking up various road safety activities. Small interventions like the painting of medians, pasting of reflective tapes, conducting awareness programmes and installing close circuit cameras for deterrence may have a significant effect in improving road safety in the districts,” she said.