Bhubaneswar, May 28: Two persons lost their lives after a car skidded off a bridge and fell into the Kusei river in Odisha’s Keonjhar district on today.

The accident occurred near Rasol village under Harichandanpur block when four persons from Dhenkanal were travelling to Ghatagaon to visit the Maa Tarini Temple.

The deceased were identified as Pratap Das and Shivaswarup Rout, both residents of Dhenkanal town. Two other occupants of the vehicle sustained critical injuries in the mishap.

According to reports, the driver lost control of the car while crossing the bridge, causing the vehicle to skid off the road and plunge into the river.

After receiving information about the incident, officials from Daitari police station rushed to the spot and rescued the four occupants from the submerged vehicle. They were immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

However, doctors declared Pratap Das and Shivaswarup Rout dead on arrival. The two injured persons were later shifted to the Keonjhar District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) as their condition worsened.