Horrific bus accident leaves 6 dead, 42 injured at Kalinga Ghat in Odisha

At least six passengers were killed and 42 others sustained critical injuries after a bus carrying tourists overturned near Kalinga Ghat on Ganjam-Kandhamal border late Tuesday night.

The deceased have been identified as Supriya Denre, Sanjeet Patra, Rima Denre, Mausumi Denra, Barnali Manna and a cook.

Local residents along with police and fire teams rescued the wounded tourists from the ill-fated bus. Several of them were initially admitted to Bhanjanagar hospital. 

However, as many as 14 injured tourists were shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur due to their critical health condition. As per MKCG authorities, all of them have been put under critical care treatment and they are responding to it well.

“Their condition is stable and there is no need to shift them to any other hospital,” said an MKCG official.

As per reports, the tourists from Udaynarayanpur area in Howrah of West Bengal had come to visit Daringbadi. The bus carrying around 77 passengers including 40 men, 30 women and some children was returning from Phulbani to Visakhapatnam when the vehicle reportedly lost control over the brakes near Kalinga ghat. The driver failed to steer the bus through the sharp turns in the ghat and it hit an electric pole before overturning into a gorge.

Teams from Bhanjanagar and G Udayagiri police rushed to the spot and started the rescue operation. Later fire service personnel were also pressed into action. The rescue operation continued till Wednesday morning.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik condoled the death of tourists in the fatal road mishap.

ଦାରିଙ୍ଗବାଡି କଳିଙ୍ଗା ଘାଟି ନିକଟରେ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟଟକ ବସ୍ ଦୁର୍ଘଟଣାରେ ଅନେକଙ୍କ ପ୍ରାଣହାନି ହୋଇଥିବା ଖବର ବିଷୟରେ ଜାଣି ମୁଁ ଦୁଃଖିତ। ପ୍ରାଣ ହରାଇଥିବା ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଙ୍କ ଅମର ଆତ୍ମାର ସଦଗତି ସହ ସମସ୍ତ ଆହତଙ୍କ ଆଶୁଆରୋଗ୍ୟ କାମନା କରୁଛି।

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) May 25, 2022

Meanwhile, West Bengal  Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter to express condolences towards the deceased in the road mishap at the Kalinga Ghati. 

Our administration is coordinating with Odisha officials for speedy treatment for the injured, postmortem of the dead. Rushing a high-level team led by Principal Secretary, Disaster Management and MLA Udaynarayanpur to Odisha," CM Mamata tweeted.

BJP National Vice President Jay Panda wrote a condolence message for the deceased on his Twitter page and prayed for the quick recovery of those injured in the mishap.