15 BSF jawans hurt as vehicle carrying them skids off Laxmipur-Rayagada road in Odisha's Koraput

BHUBANESWAR: At least 15 personnel of Border Security Force (BSF) were injured on Wednesday after the van in which they were traveling skidded off the road and fell into a 10-feet deep pit in Koraput district.

Sources said the incident occurred when about 20 personnel of BSF 195 Battalion were returning to their camp after completing their night shift at Laxmipur-Rayagada road.

JC Nayak, BSF DIG (intelligence) told The New Indian Express, "The van carrying the jawans turned turtle while negotiating a curve on the Bandikher ghat, about 5 km from the camp in Laxmipur. The condition of one personnel is serious."

The injured were rushed to Laxmipur Community Health Centre (CHC) while five among them were later shifted to Koraput District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) after their condition deteriorated. A Pawan Hans helicopter was called in from Bhubaneswar to Koraput for airlifting of injured BSF personnel to Visakhapatnam for further treatment.

The BSF DIG, however, informed that a departmental inquiry would be conducted to ascertain the cause of the incident.