Bhubaneswar, Oct 17: In the early hours of Thursday, a tanker truck rammed into a roadside temple at Gandhinagar in Balangir district, completely destroying the shrine and the idol of its presiding deity. The driver of the tanker sustained critical injuries in the accident.

According to reports, the mishap occurred when the driver lost control of the vehicle for unknown reasons. The impact was severe, reducing the temple and its idol to rubble. The driver remained trapped inside the wreckage for a long time, requiring an intense rescue operation. Fire department personnel eventually freed him by breaking open the vehicle's door. He was rushed to the Balangir District Headquarters Hospital, where he is receiving treatment.

Local police arrived at the scene and launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.

Meanwhile, residents expressed anger over the incident, blaming it on increased movement of heavy vehicles through the Gandhinagar market due to bypass construction. As per current rules, heavy vehicles are only allowed to pass through the area between 12 am and 5 am.

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