Carnage in Ganjam: Truck Rams Multiple Vehicles in Horrific Chamakhandi Chhak Crash

GANJAM — Tragedy struck Odisha's Ganjam district on Wednesday evening when an out-of-control truck plowed into a crowd and multiple vehicles at the busy Chamakhandi Chhak on National Highway-16, on the outskirts of Berhampur.

The catastrophic series-collision left multiple people dead and several others injured, triggering widespread shock and grief across the region.

According to preliminary reports and eyewitness accounts, the heavy vehicle went on a destructive rampage after suddenly swerving toward the roadside—initially believed to be an attempt to avoid a car coming from the opposite direction. The truck violently rammed into a group of people and several two-wheelers stationed on the side of the highway.

Among the victims was Rosalin Mishra (42), a government employee working as a clerk at the District Treasury Office in Chhatrapur. She was reportedly returning home to Berhampur on her scooter after work when she was struck and killed instantly. At least four motorcycles were mangled in the chain collision, and numerous bystanders and commuters sustained severe injuries.

Local residents rushed to the aid of the victims, quickly transporting the injured to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur. While the initial death toll stood at one, medical and local authorities later confirmed that the fatalities rose as critically injured victims succumbed to their wounds during treatment. Several others remain under intensive medical care, with specialized teams administering blood transfusions and critical care.

The sheer scale of the tragedy sparked immediate anger among local residents, who staged a massive road blockade along National Highway-16. The protest brought traffic to a complete standstill, stranding hundreds of vehicles on both sides of the thoroughfare. Protesters vehemently demanded permanent safety interventions at the accident-prone stretch, including the construction of an over bridge, traffic barricades, and regular police deployment.

The situation was brought under control hours later following the intervention of local leaders, including Chhatrapur MLA Krushna Chandra Nayak, and Ganjam Superintendent of Police (SP) Harish Bishi, who rushed to the scene to assure residents that strict safety measures and a thorough inquiry would be pursued.

Chamakhandi police station authorities confirmed that the offending truck has been successfully seized, though the driver fled the scene immediately following the crash. Law enforcement teams have launched a manhunt to trace the absconding driver as investigations into the precise technical and circumstantial causes of the crash continue.