Digapahandi: At least 12 people were injured, five of them seriously, after a pickup van turned turtle near Pilikadhia village in Ganjam district Sunday morning.
The accident occurred at around 10 am on the Bankeswari Ghat road near the Kerandimal hill under B Turubudi panchayat in Digapahandi block when the pickup van reportedly lost control and overturned on the roadside.
The critically injured have been identified as Subasi Mahankud, 60, Laxmi Mahankud, 50, Shubhasmita Mahankud, 17, and Sudeshna Gouda, 45, from Harina village and Kuni Gouda, 50, of Dharmapur village under Patapur police limits in Sanakhemundi block.
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Fire services personnel from Digapahandi rescued the injured and admitted them to the Digapahandi Community Health Centre.
After preliminary treatment, the five critically injured persons were shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur.
According to reports, the group was travelling to the Maa Bankeswari temple atop Kerandimal hill to attend a ceremonial feast organised following a head-shaving ritual of the son of Jatia Gouda of Dharmapur village.
Relatives and friends were heading to the event in the pickup van when the driver lost control on the ghat road, causing the vehicle to overturn.
