Keonjhar: A truck collided head-on with a school vehicle on National Highway 20 near the Nuagaon petrol pump in Anandpur subdivision Monday morning, killing the driver and injuring 10 others, including students and a teacher.
According to police, the incident occurred under Ramchandrapur police station limits when a Bolero jeep carrying students from Xavier School in Khalana village attempted to cross the highway to refuel.
A speeding truck en route to Jajpur Road collided with the vehicle causing it to overturn on the roadside. The driver of the vehicle, identified as Abhisek Sahu, 25, died on the spot.
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A teacher and two students were critically injured, while eight other students sustained minor injuries. The injured were first taken to Sainkul Primary Health Centre and later referred to Anandpur Sub-Divisional Hospital. Most have since been discharged.
Police seized both vehicles and launched an investigation. The driver’s body was sent for post-mortem, and the school vehicle was recovered using a crane, said Ramchandrapur IIC Manoj Kumar Swain.
Despite regulations on school transport safety, enforcement remains lax, with students frequently travelling in unsafe vehicles such as jeeps, pick-up vans and auto-rickshaws, authorities noted.
PNN
