NEW DELHI, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed and 35 others injured on Tuesday when a mini-truck skidded off a hilly road and fell into gorge in eastern Indian state of Odisha, police said.
The accident took place at Balliguda near Brahmanigaon in Kandhamal district, about 285 km west of Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha.
"In a tragic road accident here today eight people including women and children were killed and 35 others injured after mini-truck they were travelling in fell into a gorge," a police official posted in Kandhamal said.
Following the accident, the injured were taken to nearest hospitals.
"Four persons were killed on the spot while four others succumbed to their injuries while they were being rushed to the hospitals," the official said. "The injured were removed to Brahmanigaon hospital and some were taken to MKCG hospital in Berhampur."
Officials said the condition of some of the injured was said to be critical.
Reports said around 50 people were inside the mini-truck at the time of the accident.
The cause of the accident was not immediately known. Police officials said preliminary investigations revealed the driver lost control over the vehicle.
Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik has expressed grief over the deaths in the accident and announced a compensation of 2,803 U.S dollars to each family that lost members in the accident, besides free treatment to the injured.
"Chief Minister expressed grief over the death of eight people in a road accident in Baliguda in Kandhamal district," a government spokesman said.
Deadly road accidents are common in India often caused due to overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving.
