Five motorcyclists were killed in two separate road accidents on National Highway-20 under Kanjipani police station limits in Odisha’s Keonjhar district on Sunday.
In the first incident, two motorcycle riders lost their lives near the Baitarani Bridge after an unidentified vehicle allegedly rammed into their bike from behind. The impact was so severe that both victims died on the spot.
The deceased were identified as Akshaya Sanangi (40) and Laxman Sanangi (32), residents of Kuanra village.
In another tragic accident near Mangala Mandir Chhak, three motorcyclists were killed after a truck, reportedly travelling on the wrong side of the highway, collided head-on with their motorcycle. All three victims succumbed to their injuries at the scene.
The identities of the three deceased were yet to be ascertained at the time of filing this report.
Police reached both accident sites and initiated investigations. The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination.
The twin mishaps triggered tension in the area, with locals raising concerns over reckless driving and frequent violations of traffic rules on the busy highway. Police are trying to trace the unidentified vehicle involved in the first accident and are investigating the circumstances leading to both crashes.