In a tragic road mishap, four persons were killed while 29 others were injured after the bus they were travelling in collided with a truck head-on near Hazaribagh district in Jharkhand in the wee hours of Sunday. All the deceased and injured persons were reportedly from Odisha. The deceased persons include three women.
Following the accident, all the injured persons were immediately rescued and rushed to Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital in Hazaribagh. The condition of four to five persons is said to be critical.
While the identities of the deceased and injured persons are yet to be ascertained, the bus was returning to Kaniha in Angul district from Gaya in Bihar. The passengers were on a pilgrimage.
According to a report, the bus with pilgrims from Kaniha area on board had to divert at a place en route Odisha because a tanker got skidded off the road.
It was moving along NH 2, instead of on its regular road. As the bus was nearing Katmasandi area, it had a severe head-on collision with a truck, coming from the opposite direction at a high speed. Four passengers died on the spot.
On being informed, police reached the spot, recovered the bodies, and sent them for post-mortem.
Meanwhile, the district administration has made arrangements to shift critically injured passengers to AIIMS in Ranchi.
(Reported by Manil Maharana from Talcher and Manik Lal Pani from Baripada)