Bhadrak: At least two persons were killed and more than 30 injured after a head-on collision between a truck and a bus, carrying Urs pilgrims, near Banta Chhak on National Highway-16 in Bhadrak district in the wee hours of Friday.
The injured were admitted to Bhadrak District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) for treatment. Six pilgrims who received critical injuries in the mishap have been rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) in Cuttack while another person has been admitted to Balasore DHH. The identity of the deceased is yet to be established.
Meanwhile, fire personnel rushed to the spot after receiving information and launched an operation to rescue three persons, including the bus driver who are still trapped inside the vehicle.
Reports said, the bus, carrying the pilgrims of Urs festival was returning to Basudevpur from Dhamnagar at around 3 AM when it collided head-on with a truck at Banta Chhak. Though the exact reason behind the mishap is yet to be ascertained, eye witnesses said the collision took place due to the carelessness of both the drivers.
Besides, traffic movement on the NH was partially hit as one side of the road has been closed in view of the ongoing rescue operation. Further details awaited.
District Collector Gyana Ranjan Dash, Sub Collector and SP also reached the accident spot to review the situation. Later, Dash also visited the DHH to inspect the health condition of the pilgrims.
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