Bhubaneswar, April 26: An overcrowded tractor fell into a gorge at Upara Anchalabadi Ghati in Kalyan Singpur area of Rayagada district killing 18 and injuring 42.

Seventeen people died on the spot, while one person succumbed to his injuries at the Rayagada District Headquarters Hospital. The incident occurred around 4.30pm when an overloaded tractor carrying more than 60 passengers skidded and fell into the gorge at Upara Anchalbadi Ghati, 30km away from Rayagada district headquarters.

Police sources said that all the passengers in tractor belong to Hiranpadu and they were returning from a wedding ceremony at Seriguma when the incident took place. Sources in the district administration said that the toll might increase, as another four persons are critical.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has expressed grief over the deaths and announced that the state government would bear all the medical expenses of the injured from chief minister’s relief fund and Odisha State Treatment Fund. Naveen asked Rayagada collector S.B. Padhi to shift the injured to Vishakhapatnam for better treatment.

The district administration has decided to shift three persons to a private hospital in Vishakhapatnam for treatment. “The toll is 18 so far and I have talked to the medical authorities in Vishakhapatnam to admit three persons. I have also directed the district headquarters hospital authorities to keep the casualty open throughout the night,” said district collector Padhi. Inspector in charge of K. Singpur police station B. Lakra said that as soon as they received the information regarding the accident they rushed to the spot with three ambulances.

“The tractor might have lost balance due to overloading with a wheel being dislodged. This might have led to the accident,” said Lakra.