20 killed, a few hurt as bus plunges into 50-ft ditch in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Sep 9: The death toll is likely to increase even as Angul district administration is busy shifting victims to nearby hospitals.

At least 20 people were killed and 25 others injured, 5 of them seriously, when a private bus in which they were travelling plunged from a bridge into a 50-ft ditch at Manitri near in Odisha’s Angul district on Friday morning.

The death-toll in the accident is likely to increase even as Angul district administration is busy shifting accident victims to nearby hospitals. Preliminary reports from Angul said 14 persons died on the spot while six succumbed to injuries in hospital.

Many victims were women including four college students died in the accident. Before police and other government official reached the spot, local people had brought out injured passengers from the bus. Most accident victims were from both Boudh and Angul districts.

“We have received a report of about 15 deaths in the accident. The bus carrying around 50 passengers was going from Boudh to Athamallik. We have deployed several ambulances. We are also considering using air-ambulance for transporting seriously injured ones,” said Anil Samal, District Magistrate of Angul.

According to district administration, driver of the bus, which was overloaded with passengers, lost control over the vehicle and hit the bridge barricade. Special medical teams and fire personnel have rushed to spot to give first-aid and expedite the rescue act.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed deep condolence over the accident and announced that the State government would bear treatment cost of all injured ones.