3 killed in accident, one victim's body dragged for 1km in Balangir

BALANGIR: A man and his two adolescent daughters were killed when a speeding passenger bus hit the motorcycle they were travelling in near Gaintala tehsil office on the Balangir-Subarnapur road under Puintala police station limits in Balangir district. Sources said one of the sisters fell down under the wheel of the bus after it hit the bike from behind and she was dragged for nearly half a km.
The deceased were identified as Binapani Pandey (50) and his daughters Rekha (14) and Sita (17). Binapani was a marginal farmer of Brahmanipali village under Puintala block. Police said the mishap took placed around 10 am when Binapani and his daughters were going to Balangir to update their Aadhaar card details.
Locals rescued Binapani and Sita and admitted them to Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital in Balangir. When their condition deteriorated, they were shifted to Vimsar, Burla. Both succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment.
Soon after the accident, locals blocked National Highway-57 near Gaintala demanding compensation to the family members of the deceased and stringent action against the driver. They blocked the road for more than six hours. Later, Tophan Bag, sub-divisional police officer, Balangir, and the Puintala tehsildar reached the spot to pacify the protesters. The deceased's family was granted Rs 50,000 compensation by the district administration. Police have arrested bus driver Jagyenswar Dash and initiated an investigation into the incident.