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9 rural kabaddi players from the state of Odisha (erstwhile Orissa) passed away in an unfortunate accident in the Sundargarh district. 15 other kabaddi players, who were travelling with them, have suffered serious injuries.
The incident happened at around 4:30 pm on Saturday evening when the team were travelling in a mini truck. The vehicle, numbered OD-16-7141 lost its balance and fell off the bridge near Surapalli, which falls under the Lahunipara police limits.
The team is reported to be from Sendhapur village in Banei block in Odisha. The players and coaches had gone to the neighbouring Dhundigaon village to participate in a kabaddi tournament. It was when the squad was returning from the tournament on the weekend, that this mishap occured.
The injured have been admitted to the Ispat General Hospital after they received primary treatment at the local hospital in Banei, where the doctors are monitoring their condition as they are said to be in a critical state. According to news filtering in, a few supporters of the kabaddi team have also suffered injuries.
The driver of the mini truck apparently lost control of the vehicle, which resulted in the truck overturning and eventually falling off the bridge. The police said that three of the players died on the spot, while the demise of three others happened on the way to the hospital.
The Chief Minister of Odisha, Mr. Naveen Patnaik, the supremo of the ruling party – Biju Janta Dal, expressed his grief over the incident. In light of the news, the Odisha CM even promised Rs. 1 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, who are said to be between the ages of 20 and 30. Moreover, the injured will be provided treatment free of cost.
Seven of the 9 deceased have been identified by Odisha The Samaya. They are:
- Chandra Sekhar Pradhan
- Dharnidhar Nayak
- Abhimanyu Kalo
- Dharmendra Nayak
- Umesh Kisan
- Gautam Nayak
- Guru Charan Kisan
Additional Superintendent of Police of Banei, R B Panigrahi, confirmed that an investigation by the police is already underway.
"We have recovered the truck from the site and rushed all the injured to the hospital," SP of Police (Banei) R B Panigrahi said when asked about the accident.
