Boudh: At least 18 passengers were injured after a bus en-route to Bhubaneswar from Bolangir hit a tree near Basudevpali on NH-56 (Khurda-Bolangir road) in the district. All the injured have been admitted to Sonepur hospital.
While the exact cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, it is suspected that the bus driver might have lost control over the vehicle as it veered off the road and hit the roadside tree.
Out of the injured, six passengers have reportedly sustained grievous injuries and their condition is currently critical.
In another such road mishap in Bolangir district, a Bolero also hit a roadside tree near Kareidhuan near Saintala police limits. The vehicle caught fire soon after the accident but all those travelling in it escaped unhurt.