A festive atmosphere turned into a nightmare in Leshun Bahali village, Balangir, after a pickup truck (OD 03 Q 4284) overturned near Marlard Bridge, claiming the lives of three minors.
The victims—Rajbir Tandi (15), Raja Shikha (13), and Alok Tandi (15)—were among six children who had climbed into the back of the vehicle following a village party. Unbeknownst to their families, the truck was rushing to Titilagarh to fetch water packets for the event when the driver lost control.
The impact was devastating:
Rajbir Tandi died instantly at the scene.
Raja and Alok succumbed to their injuries at Titilagarh Government Hospital.
Moses, Krishna, and Vikram remain in critical condition and have been shifted to Bhim Bhoi Medical College for specialized care.
Local MLA Naveen Jain and the Tehsildar visited the grieving families as the community struggles to process the loss. A shadow of silence has fallen over the village, mourning a celebration that ended in an unimaginable catastrophe.