Bhubaneswar: At least 10 passengers were injured, two of them critically, after a Delhi-bound private bus carrying roughly 40 to 50 passengers lost control and overturned near Jharpokharia Bazaar along National Highway 18 in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district during the early hours of Wednesday.
According to sources, the accident took place around 3 am.
On being informed, Jharpokharia police officers alongside Fire Services teams from Saraskana and Bangiriposhi reached the scene and rescued the passengers trapped inside the wreckage. Those with severe injuries, including one individual with a major head trauma and another who suffered a bone fracture, were shifted to the nearby Sirsha Community Health Centre for immediate medical attention, while several others received care for minor cuts and bruises.
The overturned vehicle was later cleared off the highway using a heavy-duty crane to restore normal traffic flow.
Meanwhile, passengers made alternative travel arrangements or waited for a replacement bus dispatched by the travel agency to resume their journey toward the national capital.
While police have begun an investigation to determine the precise trigger of the crash, preliminary inquiries points to driver drowsiness or a sudden mechanical failure.