At least eight persons, including two babies, were today killed and eight others injured when an overloaded auto-rickshaw collided head-on with a truck in Rayagada district in Odisha.
While six among them died on the spot including the babies, aged one-two years, two others succumbed to injuries at a district headquarters hospital here, Inspector-in-charge of Chandili police station, Uday Chandra Seth said.
The accident took place when an overloaded auto-rickshaw carrying 16 persons collided head-on with a truck loaded with cotton coming from the opposite direction at Kothapeta village in southern Odisha, police said.
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The victims were returning home after celebrating Maha Shivratri festival at a nearby area, the police said.
The auto-rickshaw was overloaded as it had the capacity of carrying only four people, including the driver, they said.
The condition of two more injured was stated to be critical and are being monitored at the hospital here.
Both vehicles were seized and the investigation is underway, Seth added.
