Bhubaneswar: Two days post the tragic Nepal bus accident, mortal remains of the two Odia pilgrims who died in the mishap late Monday night, reached Odisha on Thursday.
A pall of gloom descended on their villages today where their family members were awaiting their repatriation. The bodies of the two deceased- Charan Biswal (54) and Bijay Kumar Jena (52) who hailed from Malipada village of Khurda district and Jamuna village under Delang block in Puri, respectively, were taken to their respective villages for conduct of last rites.
According to reports, Jena and Biswal were among the 60 Indian pilgrims who had boarded the ill-fated Kathmandu-bound tourist bus that was rammed by a truck late on Monday night. The bus skidded off about 20 meters into a nearby forest after being hit by the speeding truck. While both Charan and Bijay died on the spot, 21 others sustained serious injuries in the mishap.
Three other Odia pilgrims- Sarbeswar Jena (55), Sheshadev Jena (53) and Karuna Karjuna Awasthi (63) who were stated to be in critical condition are currently undergoing treatment at Birjung- based Neuro hospital.
It is pertinent to mention here that soon after the mishap, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had written to External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar seeking his intervention and assistance regarding proper treatment of the victims and repatriation of the Odias injured and the mortal remains of the deceased.