1 dead, 2 critical in head-on crash.

In the town of Khajuripada, a tragic accident occurred on Friday that left one person dead and two others in critical condition. The incident took place near Muskil Rasta Chhak, a busy intersection, and falls under the jurisdiction of Khajuripada police station in Kandhamal district. The deceased was identified as Kamadev Behera, a resident of Bandhasahi village in Khajuripada.

The two injured individuals are Charan Behera, a junior engineer working in the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation division at Khajuripada block, and Fagua Behera, a resident of Bandhasahi. According to reports, Charan had just completed his official work at the Phulbani division office and was on his way back to the Khajuripada block office on his motorcycle. While passing through Muskil Rasta Chhak near Samabepadaghat, his motorcycle collided head-on with another speeding bike coming from the opposite direction.

This second bike was carrying both Fagua Behera and Kamadev Behera. The impact of the collision was severe and all three riders sustained serious injuries. Thankfully, fire services personnel were quick to respond and arrived at the scene to rescue the victims.

They were then rushed to the nearby Khajuripada hospital for immediate treatment. However, due to the severity of their injuries, they were later transferred to the district headquarters hospital in Phulbani. Tragically, despite the efforts of the medical staff, Kamadev Behera could not be saved and was declared dead at the hospital.

Police were called to the scene and have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident. The people of Khajuripada are in shock and mourning over this unfortunate incident. Kamadev Behera, a beloved member of the community, will be deeply missed.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured individuals and their families as they fight for their recovery. Let us all be more cautious and responsible while on the road, to prevent such tragedies from happening in the future. Orissa POST, Odisha's leading English daily, will continue to provide updates on this developing story.