Four dead as ambulance carrying a body hits culvert wall on NH-57 in Odisha's Nayagarh
An ambulance travelling from Bhubaneswar to Balangir with a body and relatives crashed on NH-57 in Nayagarh on Sunday; the death toll has reached four.
Four people have died after an ambulance carrying a body crashed on National Highway 57 in Odisha's Nayagarh district, according to a report by Sambad English published on 9 November 2026.
The crash happened around 5:30 pm on Sunday near Shalabhanga forest, under the Banigochha police station area. The ambulance was travelling from Bhubaneswar to Deogaon in Balangir district with the body of a man who had died, along with some of his family members.
Preliminary reports say the driver lost control, reportedly because of excessive speed, and the vehicle hit a culvert wall. All occupants were severely injured. Police reached the spot and rescued them, and the injured were taken to the Daspalla Community Health Centre. Two of them died during treatment, a third died on Monday, and a fourth died later while undergoing treatment, taking the toll to four.
The report says Banigochha police were making arrangements for post-mortem examinations, with the bodies kept at the Daspalla centre. The report quotes no official statement on the cause, and the speed claim is described as preliminary.
Why it matters for ambulance owners and drivers
- The report points to reported over-speeding as the preliminary cause, a reminder that safe driving matters even when carrying a body rather than an emergency patient.
- Long inter-district trips on national highways carry crash risk for crews and the families travelling with them.
Read the full report at the source: Sambad English
This is a summary written by the Ambulance Owner Association. The facts are from the source named above.