Two women killed in Odisha crash; locals blame rash driving, poor roads

• TNN

• Published On Jan 7, 2026 at 01:29 PM IST

Two women killed in Odisha crash; locals blame rash driving, poor roads.

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Another resident, Pupun Mohanty, said that poor road conditions also contributed significantly to fatal accidents. “It’s not just rash driving. Bad roads are equally responsible. Authorities tasked with road maintenance and clearance of road obstructions should be booked for negligence,” he said.NHAI officials, however, clarified that their team reached the site soon after the truck overturned at 10:30 am, about two hours before the fatal accident. “The truck was removed promptly to ensure smooth traffic, and the driver, along with his staff, was instructed to clear the sand. They failed to remove the entire load and left the site, leaving behind scattered sand,” an NHAI official said.Puri SP Prateek Singh said police are working to identify the truck involved in the accident. “Prima facie, negligence on the part of the truck driver led to the accident. Our personnel cleared the sand to prevent further accidents,” he added. State transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur stressed that vehicles carrying sand must properly cover their load to avoid spillage. “We will sensitise enforcement authorities to ensure stricter compliance,” Thakur said.CM Mohan Charan Majhi, BJD president and leader of opposition Naveen Patnaik among other politicians mourned the deaths of the journalist and her neighbour.2 women run over by bus after scooter skids on sand

Two women, including a TV journalist, were run over by a passenger bus on the Bhubaneswar-Puri NH-316 near Mangalpur in Puri district on Tuesday, after their scooter skidded on sand left scattered when a truck carrying the load overturned on the busy road.

The deceased were identified as journalist Sheela Pattanayak, 40, and her neighbour, Sipika Nayak, 36.

Pipili police said that Pattanayak, who was riding the scooter, lost control when the two-wheeler slipped on sand scattered near the road median.

“The sand spilled earlier in the day when a truck overturned. As the women fell onto the road, a bus trailing them ran over the duo, killing them on the spot,” a police officer said.

Police have detained the bus driver. “He is being questioned,” an officer of Pipili police station said.

Locals accused both the truck driver and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for negligence. “The truck driver’s rash driving caused the sand spill. NHAI officials failed to clear the obstruction. Their negligence cost two lives. Accountability must be fixed and stringent action should be taken against them,” said Pradyumna Kumar Swain, a resident.

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