A tragic road accident on State Highway-10 in Odisha's Sundargarh district claimed the lives of two drivers on Tuesday morning. The victims, identified as Chhabindra Behura (49) and Sakil Khan (25), were burnt alive after their vehicles collided head-on and caught fire near Kaintara around 6:45 am.
Details of the Incident
According to police, the driver of an empty tipper truck traveling from Jharsuguda to Sundargarh allegedly lost control, crossed the divider, and rammed into a trailer coming from the opposite direction. The impact ruptured the trailer's diesel tank, triggering a blaze that quickly engulfed both vehicles, reducing them to charred wreckage.
Rescue Operation
Fire service personnel from Sundargarh and Jharsuguda, along with a team from Bhasma police station, rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. Although the flames were doused, the drivers had already succumbed to the fire and were charred to death by the time they could be extracted from the wreckage.
Traffic on SH-10 was disrupted for approximately two hours as police removed the burnt vehicles. The bodies, initially unidentifiable, were shifted to Sundargarh district headquarters hospital for post-mortem, which will be conducted after family members arrive.
Investigation Underway
Bhasma police seized both vehicles, registered an accident case, and initiated an investigation. "We are trying to ascertain the exact cause behind the accident," said Amar Hota, inspector in-charge of Bhasma police station. The families of the deceased have been informed.
The trailer driver, Chhabindra Behura, was a resident of Mangalpatna village in Cuttack district, while the tipper driver, Sakil Khan, hailed from Latehar district in Jharkhand.
