2 dead, over 40 injured in bus-truck head-on crash near Cuttack

At least two persons lost their lives while more than 40 others were injured after a bus and a truck collided head-on near Nischintakoili in Cuttack district on Tuesday morning.

As per reports, the bus was en route to Cuttack from Kendrapara when it hit the truck from the front. The front parts of both vehicles were completely damaged pinning the drivers inside them.

Following the mishap, firefighters rushed to the spot and rescued the injured passengers. They were sent to Nischintakoili hospital for treatment.

The drivers of both vehicles were later rescued after cutting open the metal with gas cutters.

Speaking about the accident, a passenger of one of the buses said, “I boarded the bus from Aul and was going to Cuttack. A loud sound startled me when the bus hit the truck. People were thrown out of their seats. Many were bleeding profusely. Both the vehicles were damaged and the driver and other passengers sitting at the front of the bus were stuck in the mangled metals.”

“Two JCBs are employed to pull the vehicle apart. The bus was en route to Cuttack from Kendrapara and the truck was moving to Kendrapara from Cuttack. Two drivers of both vehicles are still stuck inside. The police, firefighters and local people are trying to get them out,” said a local.

The police have launched a probe into the case. Though the exact reason behind the accident has not been ascertained yet, it is suspected that dense fog and the resultant reduction of visibility might have caused the mishap.

As per the latest reports, out of the injured, four patients have been shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after their health condition deteriorated.

Speaking about the injured, SCB Hospital’s Emergency Officer, Bhubananada Maharana said, “Four patients have been admitted to the Trauma Casualty till now. Out of them, three are male and one patient is a female. First aid has already been administered to all the four. All of them have multiple injuries. Doctors from Orthopaedics, Neurosurgery and Surgery are conducting an investigation following which treatment will start. We have even made the ICU ready for more patients."