Salepur: At least two persons were killed and as many as 72 persons including women and children injured in separate road mishaps in the State today.
A bus carrying 65 picnickers overturned after colliding with a Hyva truck near Kamarapada in Salepur this morning. Out of the 20 injured, five are stated to be critical and have been shifted to the SCB hospital in Cuttack.
Hospital sources said two persons who were rescued in critical condition have succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment. While one of the deceased was identified as Gyana Ranjan Sahu from Nayagarh, the identity of the other one was yet to be ascertained.
As per reports, the 'Om Shanti' bus carrying 65 picnickers from Niladri Vihar of Bhubaneswar was going to Sarala and Gorakhnath shrines in Jagatsinghpur it met with the accident near Kamarapada.
Eyewitnesses said the mishap occurred when a truck tried to overtake the bus and subsequently collided with it. The bus veered off the main road and overturned onto the adjacent field.
In another incident, as many as 40 picnickers were injured when a bus overturned at Marlaba ghat in Mohana of Gajapati district. The injured were admitted to the district headquarters hospital. Sources said the picnickers from Sorada in Ganjam were on their way to Gondahati waterfall for spot visit.
In a similar incident, a total of 12 persons were injured when a bus turned turtle near Katasa village under Bisoi police limits in Mayurbhanj district today morning. The vehicle was en route to Keonjhar from Kolkata when the mishap occurred, said reports.