BHUBANESWAR: Two people died and at least 10 others were injured when a DJ vehicle came into contact with an 11 kV power line in Hatuari village of Odisha’s Bhadrak district during a religious procession on Monday night.
The deceased have been identified as Sarat Mahalik (35) from Arasa village and Manas Mallick (34) from Hatuari village. Despite being rushed to Bhadrak District Headquarters Hospital, both were pronounced dead on arrival.
The incident occurred during the Patua Yatra procession from Hatuari to Kantimangala Pitha. According to Bhadrak superintendent of police Madkar Sandeep Sampat, the DJ vehicle operators ignored explicit warnings against playing music during the procession.
“The vehicle’s height was a significant factor in the accident. We have seized the vehicle and launched a manhunt for the driver,” Sampat said.
District collector Dilip Routray confirmed that the DJ truck was operating without the required police permissions. Three burn victims have been transferred from Tihidi hospital to Bhadrak District Headquarters Hospital, while a critically injured minor girl has been referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
Local authorities, including the district collector, superintendent of police, and political leaders such as BJP state president Manmohan Samal, Bhadrak MLA Sitansu Mohapatra, and former MLA Rajendra Das, visited the hospital to assess the situation and monitor the treatment of the injured.
An investigation into the incident is currently underway, police said.