Cuttack, Oct. 8: Three persons were killed and four were injured in an accident on Cuttack-Niali Road in the wee hours today.

The mishap took place around 5.30am when an auto-rickshaw carrying six persons was hit by a truck coming from the opposite direction near Bagalpur.

Police sources said rash driving caused the accident. Three persons, Ganesh Bhoi, 45, Ramesh Bhoi, 26, and Sukant Bhoi, 24, died on the spot while four others, all critically injured, were later rushed to a hospital.

Among the dead, Ganesh and Ramesh hailed from Badajharilo village while Sukant was from Janharsasan village in Khurda district. All of them were returning to Badajharilo after attending the bhasani utsav (immersion ceremony) at Govindpur.

“Three persons died on the spot while four were injured in the accident. The driver of the autorickshaw is absconding,” said sub-divisional police officer G. Mahakud.All the injured, Santosh Bhoi, 28, Bichitra Bhoi, 40, Kanhu Bhoi, 32, and Kabu Bhoi, 32, were first rushed to the Mahidarpada primary health centre. “We came to know about the mishap around 7.30am and rushed to the spot,” said Krushna Bhoi, 31, a family member of the injured.

Later, Santosh and Bichitra were shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital here after their condition deteriorated. Local villagers blocked the Cuttack –Niali Road for more than three hours after the accident and normality returned after Kantapada tehsildar Sushmita Behera promised Rs 10,000 as compensation for the family members of each of the dead.

“We had no information about the accident. We came to know about the mishap around 7.30am and rushed to the spot,” said Krushna Bhoi, 31, a family member of the injured.