Head-on collision between two buses in Ganjam leaves one dead, 10 hurt

At least one person was killed while 10 others sustained critical injuries following a collision between two passenger buses near Dhaugaon area in Ganjam district late on Friday night.

As per initial reports, the driver of one of the buses died in the road mishap that occurred a few metres away from Hindustan Petrol Pump. The deceased has been identified as Balkrushna Gaud. Balkrushna was the driver of Dilkhus bus which was on its way to Malkangiri from Bhubaneswar.

It is said that the bus collided head-on with another bus coming from Aska side. The exact reason behind the accident was not known immediately.

Following the mishap, police and Odisha Fire Services Department personnel reached the spot and carried out rescue operation. All the passengers, who sustained critical injuries, have been shifted to Berhampur and Aska hospitals.

“After dinner, most of us were asleep on the bus when we heard a loud noise. Before we could understand anything, we saw several people crying for help. Around 8 to 10 persons have been injured,” said a passenger.

Another person said, “The bus driver has died in the accident. We called the police and soon a team reached the spot and carried out the rescue operation.”

It is alleged that the driver of the second bus was driving under the influence of alcohol. However, a detailed investigation can throw light on the exact cause of the mishap.