Angul, Jan. 25: Nine persons, including two women and a child, died today following a collision between their vehicle and a truck near Chainpal on the national highway between Pallahara in Dhenkanal and Banarpal in Angul, around 18km from here.

Two persons were seriously injured and have been admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. The deceased are yet to be identified.

The accident occurred when a truck carrying coal from Talcher collided head-on with a Tata Magic van.

Witnesses said the truck, which was speeding, almost ran over the small vehicle when it collided with it.

Seven persons, including Tata Magic driver Tapan Behera, died on the spot. Two others succumbed to injuries at Angul hospital. Two of the injured have been shifted to Cuttack for treatment, police said.

Following the accident, residents of nearby villages caught the truck's driver and assaulted him before the police rescued him. The driver, who sustained serious injuries, has been admitted to the district hospital.

The irate villagers blocked traffic for several hours on NH-149, which is used to carry coal from the Talcher belt across the state.

The agitation was called off after police officials intervened. Angul district superintendent of police Rajesh Pandit said: "We are yet to ascertain the identities of the deceased. We are retrieving their bodies from the damaged vehicle."

The police said preliminary investigations suggest that some of the deceased belonged to Bantala and Bhogberaini areas. Most of them were labourers, the police said.

Farmer suicide

A 45-year-old farmer allegedly committed suicide by hanging in Mayurbhanj district on Monday. The deceased was identified as Laxman Majhi of Chandanur village in Bangiriposhi police station limits. Majhi's body was found hanging from a tree. The family members stated that Majhi took a loan of Rs 25,000 from a bank after crop loss and was forced take the extreme step.