Bhubaneswar: One person died while two others were critically injured in two separate road accidents, involving buses, within a span of 24 hours in Bhubaneswar.
Early on Monday, a biker died the spot after being struck by a speeding bus on Khandagiri overbridge along NH-16. His son, who was riding pillion, sustained serious injuries. Witness accounts indicate the vehicle involved was an Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) bus, whose driver fled the scene immediately after the collision.
Outraged by the hit-and-run, local residents staged a blockade, voicing anger over recurring speed violations on the bridge. Personnel from the Khandagiri police station eventually pacified the protesters, cleared the road, and initiated a search using highway CCTV footage to trace the driver.
Locals noted that the stretch has turned into a notorious accident hotspot, calling on traffic authorities to strictly curb speeding along the corridor.
This came hours after a major crash was reported in the city’s high-security zone near PMG Square, close to the Odisha Legislative Assembly. A tourist bus heading toward Master Canteen Square collided with a motorcycle. The force of the impact flung the rider onto the pavement and trapped the two-wheeler underneath the bus. Onlookers rushed the critically injured motorcyclist to Capital Hospital. It is being suspected that the bus driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.
Soon, officers from Capital and Kharavela Nagar police stations arrived at the spot to manage significant traffic congestion and launch a joint investigation. Bystanders questioned how heavy, speeding tourist vehicles could navigate a heavily monitored, CCTV-equipped zone unchecked, particularly amidst heightened security preparations for upcoming Independence Day celebrations.