TNI Bureau: A woman journalist was among two women who lost their lives in a tragic road accident at Jamalpur near Mangalpur on National Highway-316, the arterial road connecting Bhubaneswar and Puri.

The deceased journalist has been identified as Sheela Pattanayak, who was associated with a leading Odia news channel, News 7. The identity of the second woman is yet to be officially confirmed by the authorities.

According to police and eyewitness accounts, the two women were travelling on a scooter from Bhubaneswar towards Puri when a speeding private bus hit their vehicle from behind near Mangalpur. The impact of the collision was severe, resulting in one of the women dying on the spot.

Preliminary investigations indicate that sand lying on the road in the area may have played a role in the accident. The scooter is believed to have slipped due to the sand, after which the bus rammed into it.

The second woman, who sustained critical injuries, was immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. However, she later succumbed to her injuries.

On being informed, Pipili police reached the accident site and shifted both bodies to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital for post-mortem examination. The driver of the private bus later surrendered at Sakhigopal police station. Further investigation into the incident is underway.