In a tragic incident in Odisha’s Koraput district, two young men died when their car veered off the road and collided with a mango tree on the Nandapur-Padua main road late Thursday night. The victims have been identified as Lab Khara from Golur village and Ananta Pangi from Khudub village.

Sources indicate that the two friends had traveled to Jeypore to purchase a pick-up van. While returning home after a stop in Semiliguda, the driver lost control of the vehicle, likely due to overspeeding, resulting in the crash near the fire station within the Nandapur police jurisdiction. The impact severely damaged the car, trapping both occupants inside.

A team from Nandapur Fire Services, led by Assistant Station Officer Hemant Kumar Samal, responded to the scene. Firefighters worked to break open the windows and sections of the vehicle to rescue the men. They were subsequently taken to Nandapur Community Health Centre in a fire brigade vehicle, but were pronounced dead upon arrival.

Authorities have initiated an investigation to determine the precise cause of the accident.