Bhubaneswar: Two youths in their 20s were killed when their car plunged into a pond near Konark, about 50km from Bhubaneswar, while attempting to avoid a stationary roller compactor in heavy fog in the early hours of Thursday.
The deceased were identified as law student Sandip Mahapatra and software engineer Sanatana Senapati. Two other passengers in the vehicle sustained injuries and were discharged after receiving treatment at Gop community hospital.
The accident took place at around 2am when the four friends — three of them hailing from Balasore district and one from Puri’s Nimapada area — were en route from Konark to Bhubaneswar.

Due to poor visibility, Mahapatra, who was at the wheel, failed to spot the roller compactor that had been left on the road for construction work at Junei Chowk.
“In an attempt to avoid collision, he steered towards the right, causing the vehicle to fall into a roadside pond,” an officer of Konark police station said.
Rescue efforts commenced about an hour later when local residents found out about the accident and alerted the police. All four occupants were rushed to the nearby Gop hospital, where doctors declared Mahapatra and Senapati dead upon arrival.
Locals blamed the contractor for parking the heavy machinery on the road. “This is a busy tourist route. The contractor engaged in the repair of the road should be booked for criminal negligence,” said Prasanta Mohanty, a local advocate.
Car skids off road
In another incident, a car skidded off the road near Satapada in Puri district and plunged into a pond after hitting a bike on Thursday. Three passengers travelling in the car sustained injuries.