Baripada: Two persons including a school student were killed when a speeding truck hit an auto-rickshaw in which they were travelling at Bangiriposi Ghat road on National Highway (NH-49) in Mayurbhanj district Wednesday, officials said.
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According to sources, the accident took place Wednesday afternoon when four school students along with their parents were on their way to Suliapada from Dopatta village in an auto-rickshaw. They were on way to collect rice allocated under mid-day meal (MDM) scheme.
“The auto toppled after being hit by the truck on the rough terrain. The deceased suffered serious injuries as they were flung out of the vehicle,” Mayurbhanj SP Smit P Parmar informed.
The injured were rushed to Bangiriposi hospital with the help of local people and fire service personnel. They were later shifted to the Mayurbhanj district headquarters hospital (DHH). The driver and helper of the truck fled from the spot soon after road mishap.
As schools have been closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Odisha government has made provisions for distribution of MDM rice to the parents of the children.
PNN