Pipili: A road accident on the Pipili bypass claimed the lives of three young women Saturday.
The deceased were students of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya and residents of Old Town in Bhubaneswar.
The trio was travelling on a scooter to Puri to participate in Rath Yatra when the mishap occurred near the Pipili Tarakaja overbridge.
The victims were identified as Rimjhim Sahoo, 20, daughter of Ramesh Sahoo of Rath Road, Barik Sahi in Old Town, Bhubaneswar; and sisters Elina Dash, 20, and Kajal Dash,22, both residents of Kendrapara district.
According to Pipili police, the scooter was sideswiped by a motorcycle, causing the riders to fall under the wheels of an Ama bus. All three were killed on the spot.
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Locals alleged that reckless driving by the bus driver led to the tragedy, cutting short three innocent lives and leaving their plans to visit the Jagannath temple unfulfilled.
The bus driver fled the scene following the accident. Though locals attempted to stop the vehicle, they were unsuccessful.
Police arrived shortly after and launched an investigation. Following the incident, residents of Old Town rushed to Pipili hospital and demanded strict action against the driver.
Pipili SDPO Debasish Mishra, Tehsildar Hrushikesh Tripathy, and IIC Soumendu Shekhar Tripathy visited the site and spoke to the victims’ families.
The family members also staged a brief protest on the road, demanding compensation. Authorities managed to pacify the situation after assuring appropriate action and support.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep sorrow over the tragic deaths and announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the next of kin of the deceased.
PNN
