In a tragic event on Friday night, a 12-year-old boy lost his life when a DJ vehicle overturned during the Rath Yatra procession in Anaharapur village, located in the Bhagabanpur panchayat of Dhamnagar block, Bhadrak district.

The incident was reportedly caused by a poorly maintained road, leading to local outrage. The victim, identified as Soumyaranjan, was the son of the late Kishore Raut.

As the chariot progressed along a road managed by the Bhadrak Rural Works department, the DJ vehicle, surrounded by a large crowd, lost its balance and toppled into a nearby canal.

Soumyaranjan was tragically crushed beneath the overturned vehicle. Emergency responders, including local residents, police, and fire services, rushed to the scene and transported him to Dhamnagar hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Dhamnagar SDPO Trilochan Sethi and IIC Gopalakrishna Jena arrived at the location to assess the situation and subsequently seized the overturned DJ vehicle.

A case of unnatural death (17/25) has been filed at the Dhamnagar police station, and the body has been sent to Bhadrak for an autopsy on Saturday.

This incident is particularly heartbreaking as Soumyaranjan had lost his father just 14 months prior, leaving the community in mourning.

The truck responsible for transporting the equipment fled the scene following the accident. Local residents are now calling for financial support from the government and district administration for the grieving family.