Jeypore: Two motorcycle riders were killed and a pillion rider sustained critical injuries after two bikes collided head-on near Bariniput on National Highway-26 on the outskirts of Jeypore town in Koraput district on Saturday.
The deceased were identified as Tuna Khosla (20), a resident of Kolabnagar under Koraput Sadar police limits, and Naveen Takri (30) of Keraput village under Jeypore Sadar police station. The injured youth, Mohit Khara (18), also from Kolabnagar, was initially admitted to a nearby private hospital before being shifted to Visakhapatnam for advanced treatment due to his critical condition.
According to eyewitnesses, both motorcycles were travelling at high speed when the riders reportedly lost control while negotiating a curve near a private hospital close to Bariniput. The two bikes then collided head-on with considerable force.
After receiving information about the accident, personnel from the Bariniput police outpost rushed to the spot, cleared the damaged vehicles from the road and regulated traffic movement on the busy national highway.
All three injured persons were initially taken to a nearby private hospital. While one rider succumbed to injuries at the accident site, the other died during treatment at the hospital, police said.
The condition of Mohit Khara remained critical, prompting doctors to refer him to a hospital in Visakhapatnam for specialized care.
Bariniput Outpost Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Tirupati Sabar confirmed the casualties and said further investigation into the circumstances leading to the accident is underway.