Bhubaneswar, Jan 29: Two youths tragically lost their lives in separate road accidents in Odisha's Angul and Sundargarh districts on Thursday, sparking fresh concerns over road safety in the region.

The first incident occurred on the Gotamara overbridge on National Highway-149 under Banarpal police limits in Angul district. The deceased, identified as Shakti Saurabh Mohanty, a resident of Gotamara village in Banarpal block, was on his way to his duty at the Tata Steel Plant when a wood-laden pickup van collided head-on with his motorcycle. The force of the collision threw him off his bike. Local residents immediately rushed him to the Angul District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), where he was declared dead by the doctors.

In a second tragic incident, Rajesh Kindo, a resident of Babudihi village, was killed in a road accident near the Balisankara Block Office on the main road under Talsara police limits in Sundargarh district. According to reports, Rajesh was riding a scooter when a speeding goods truck hit the scooter from behind. The truck dragged him for several metres, causing severe injuries. The truck was en route from Sundargarh to Rajasthan via Balisankara.

Police in both districts have registered cases and initiated investigations to determine the exact causes of the accidents. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examinations, and further legal action is underway.

These tragic incidents highlight the ongoing concerns regarding road safety in Odisha, with local authorities under increasing pressure to implement measures to prevent such accidents in the future.