BERHAMPUR: Three women of a marriage party were killed and 15 others injured when a speeding SUV allegedly rammed into them near the bride’s house at Mandiapalli under Gopalpur police station in Ganjam district late on Tuesday night.
The deceased were identified as Sanjukta Reddy (23) of Mandiapalli, Sapna Reddy (21) of Chhatrapur and Bharati Reddy (11) of Lanjipalli in Berhampur, all relatives of the bride, police said.
“The mishap took place when around 50 people, mostly from the bride’s side, were standing on the roadside and waiting for the groom to arrive,” said Sarada Prasana Das, inspector in-charge, Gopalpur police station.Police rushed to the spot and rescued the injured persons with the help of locals.
“While 12 injured were admitted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital here, three others have been referred to Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh,” said Siba Shankar Mohapatra, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Berhampur Sadar. Among the injured, two are cameramen.
Police said the vehicle had Chhattisgarh registration number.“Its driver and some occupants fled from the spot after the accident.
One of the passengers was detained and the vehicle seized,” said Mohapatra.A search has been launched to nab the driver,” he said.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced Rs 3 lakh each ex gratia from the CM’s Relief Fund (CMRF) to the families of he deceased. The chief minister also announced free treatment for all the injured persons. He expressed grief over the deaths.
