Three Women Killed in Tragic Road Accident on Way to Ratha Jatra

Bhubaneswar: In a tragic incident on Saturday afternoon, three young women en route to Puri to attend the Ratha Jatra were killed in a road mishap on the Bhubaneswar-Puri National Highway near the Pipli overbridge.

The deceased have been identified as Rimjhim Priyadarshini Sahoo (20) of Bariksahi under Lingaraj police limits in Bhubaneswar, and Elina Das and Kajal Das, both from Rajkanika in Kendrapara district.

According to reports, the women were riding on separate two-wheelers to witness the divine procession of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra at Saradhabali near the Gundicha Temple in Puri. The collision occurred when their vehicles crashed into each other near Pipli, causing them to fall onto the highway. Tragically, they were run over by an ‘Ama Bus’ passing through the route, resulting in their death on the spot.

Following the accident, Pipli police arrived at the scene, recovered the bodies, and launched an investigation into the incident.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia compensation of ₹4 lakh each for the families of the deceased.