Fifteen workers were injured, some critically, after an overloaded pickup van carrying over 60 labourers overturned near Talboniya Chhak on State Highway-57 in Balasore district's Jaleswar area on Tuesday evening.
The victims were returning home after finishing work when the vehicle lost its balance and flipped onto the roadside. Alert locals rushed to the scene, initiated rescue operations, and transported the injured to a nearby hospital via ambulance.
The Nampo Outpost police arrived promptly, cleared the traffic, seized the Mayurbhanj-registered vehicle, and brought it to the station after the driver fled the scene.
Authorities have launched a thorough investigation into the overloading violations and are actively hunting for the absconding driver.