Wedding car plunges into pond; five dead

Seven people in a car carrying wedding guests fell into a roadside pond near Indipur-Chatia in Dhenkanal district in the early hours, killing five and leaving two injured. The occupants, aged 25-28, were en route to a friend’s wedding when the driver reportedly failed to negotiate a dark curve, causing the vehicle to plunge into the pond; two passengers escaped by jumping out before impact. Local rescue teams recovered the vehicle and pulled out the others, with the deceased identified as Ram Sahu, Abinash Sahu, Rakesh Kumar Sahu, Chandrakanta Swain, and Abhijit Sahu. The injured were taken to Dhenkanal District Headquarters Hospital for treatment. Police described the incident as a night-time accident on a village road and are conducting investigations while authorities coordinate ongoing rescue and post-mortem procedures. Authorities emphasized road safety in the wake of the tragedy, which occurred while a wedding party was traveling to celebrate a marriage nearby.