Truck, pickup van catch fire after collision in Kalahandi; youth killed in Hyva accident in Banki

Bhubaneswar: A major road accident was reported near Biri Muhana in the Ampani Ghat area of Odisha’s Kalahandi district after a truck and a poultry-laden pickup van collided head-on late on Saturday night. The impact of the crash was so severe that both vehicles caught fire and were completely gutted.

Upon receiving information, fire services personnel rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. No official details regarding casualties or injuries have been confirmed yet.

In a separate incident, a youth lost his life after being hit by a sand-laden Hyva truck near Khalipalli village under Baideswar police limits in Banki on Saturday night.

Following the fatal accident, hundreds of villagers staged a road blockade demanding action. The protest has continued for more than 10 hours, with demonstrators burning tyres and blocking the roadway.

Police from Banki and Baideswar have reached the site and are holding discussions with the agitating villagers to restore normalcy. Due to the blockade, vehicular movement on the Baideswar-Kalapathar road has remained completely disrupted, with long queues of vehicles stranded on both sides of the road. Authorities are working to resolve the situation and clear the traffic congestion.