Truck driven on wrong side crushes five bikers to death in Odisha

Five persons riding motorcycles were killed and eight others sustained grievous injuries after a truck, allegedly being driven on the wrong side of the road, rammed into them in Odisha’s Ganjam district on Saturday (January 31, 2026) afternoon.

The accident occurred on the Gosain Nuagaon overbridge when the speeding truck ploughed into traffic, crushing five bike riders under its wheels. Eight injured persons were rushed to a nearby hospital, where the condition of two was reported to be critical.

The truck driver fled the spot immediately after the accident but was later arrested. Police said medical examination of the driver was being done to determine whether he was under the influence of alcohol. Preliminary investigation revealed that the truck was moving on the wrong side of the road.

Expressing grief over the loss of lives, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced an ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh each for the families of the deceased from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.