MALKANGIRI: At least four persons, including 2 women, were killed and 16 others injured, when a passenger vehicle carrying them overturned in Malkangiri district on Monday, a senior police officer said.

The accident occurred when the driver of the vehicle lost control of it while negotiating a sharp bend and it overturned near Pangam, 25 km from here, said Superintendent of Police, Jagmohan Meena.

While three persons, including a woman, died on the spot, another woman succumbed to injuries during treatment in hospital, police said.

All the 17 injured persons were first taken to the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Mathili.

Some of the injured were later shifted to the district headquarters hospital at Malkangiri, where the condition of four was stated to be serious, Kujur said.

The victims were proceeding from Siraguda to attend a function at Mathili.

Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over loss of life in the road accident and conveyed sympathies to the bereaved families.

The chief minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased.

Patnaik also ordered free medical treatment for the injured persons, an official in chief minister's office said.