Interest for Football World Cup suffered a jolt in Orissa with the death of former State under-19 player Tatun Das in a road accident on the National Highway No 42, near Khuntuni yesterday night. The accident occured when the Tata Magic, carrying Tatun and seven other players of the police football team collied with a truck.

The driver of the Tata Magic also died on the spot. Among five other footballers, who suffered injuries, condition of two (Umar Khan and Rama Nayak) is reported as serious. The injured are being treated in the SCB Medical, Cuttack.