Truck falls off bridge; driver, helper missing

PARADIP: The driver and helper of a truck are still missing after the vehicle, loaded with cargo, fell off a bridge over river Mahanadi at Bhutmundei on Paradip-Chandikhole National Highway on Friday night.
Meanwhile, fire brigade personnel and ODRAF team were pressed into service to lift the truck from the river on Saturday. According to the sources, the truck's driver lost control over the vehicle and fell off the 20-foot high bridge. Locals spotted that a portion of the bridge's frame was lying broken near Bhutmundei. Later, they found the truck in the river and informed Paradipgarh police about the incident, following which teams from Kujang Fire Station and ODRAF rushed to the spot.

Divers had been engaged in the task of tracing the driver and the helper. Though the door of the truck's cabin was found open, none was found inside. "We conducted the first round of rescue operation with the help of divers and ODRAF teams. We have failed to trace or rescue the victims. We suspect that both the victims are still trapped under the truck's debris in the river. Thus, we decided to lift the truck from the water. We are not sure about the number of persons in the truck," District Fire Officer Tez Kumar Eka said.