Digapahandi: Two elderly farmers were killed after a speeding sand-laden dumper truck rammed into a bamboo-loaded bullock cart near the Paika Jagannathpur-Pratapgiri village sqaure under Sanakhe mundi block in Ganjam district early Thursday morning. The deceased were identified as Bijay Goud alias Biji, 55, and Nath Jena, 60, both residents of Pratapgiri.
The two were close friends and had gone to the nearby Ratnei forest with a bullock cart to collect bamboo. The accident occurred around 1am near a pond-side intersection on the road when the speeding truck (OD-02-DK-1712) hit the bullock cart from the opposite direction. Both men sustained critical injuries and were rushed to Adapada Community Health Centre, where doctors pronounced Nath dead. Bijaya was later shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur in critical condition, where he succumbed during treatment.
Patapur police seized the truck, the damaged bullock cart and the bodies and registered a case. After the post-mortem, the bodies were handed over to their families. The incident cast a pall of gloom over Pratapgiri village. One of the two bullocks pulling the cart reportedly died at the scene and was later buried near the roadside, while the other was severely injured.
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