Bhubaneswar, Jan 4 (PTI) A chemical-loaded tanker collided with a container truck in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district on Thursday, following which the two vehicles fell into a gorge and caught fire, killing both the drivers, police said.
The incident happened at Bangiriposi ghat, they said.
The chemical tanker first caught fire after falling into the 15-foot-deep gorge, and soon the blaze engulfed the container truck too, they added.
After four hours of fire-fighting, the charred bodies of the two drivers were recovered, said Kamalakanta Das, the officer in charge (OC) of the Bangriposhi police station.
In Dhenkanal district, a truck, a dumper and a bus with 50 picnickers onboard were involved in a pile-up. The accident happened at Bhejia Square in the Mahabirod police station area.
The bus, which was heading to Badchana in Jajpur after a picnic in Sambalpur district, collided with a dumper. Soon, another truck hit the bus from the rear.
Nine people, including the drivers of the bus and the dumper, were injured. The conditions of five of them were critical and they were shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack from a local hospital where they were initially taken.
As per preliminary investigation, the accident happened because of poor visibility due to dense fog.