Student dies as pick-up van overturns

Bhubaneswar: A Class 10 student died and 20 others were injured as a pick-up van that was taking them to a Republic Day function overturned in Cuttack district on Sunday, police said. The incident happened near Anshupa Lake when students of Malaviharapur High School were on their way to Saranda Parade Ground after attending the flag hoisting programme in their school. There were around 25 students in the van when the accident occurred, District Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde said. The deceased was identified as Soumya Ranjan Behera, police said. “The injured students were first taken to Athagarh hospital where one student died. Some seriously injured students were later referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack,” said SP (Cuttack-Rural) Prateek Singh. Strong action will be taken against those found responsible, he said. District Education Officer Santosh Kumar Rout said the school’s headmaster was wrong in sending the students to the Republic Day function on a pick-up van. School and Mass Education Department Secretary Shalini Pandit visited the injured students at SCB Medical College and Hospital. “A Collector-level inquiry has been ordered, and the concerned Headmaster has been suspended (sic),” the department said in a post on X. It announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the family of the deceased and Rs 30,000 for each injured student. “The schools have been instructed to take measures to prevent such incidents in the future,” it said.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep grief over the death of the student. He announced an ex gratia of Rs 3 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in addition to the money being given by the School and Mass Education department. He directed that all injured students be provided with the best healthcare facilities.