Berhampur: Six persons, including two children, died and four others were critically injured when a speeding passenger bus rammed into an overloaded auto-rickshaw near Ladkapalli Chhak under Purushottampur police limits in Odisha’s Ganjam district on Friday morning.
According to sources, the auto-rickshaw was carrying around 10 passengers from Erendra village in Chikiti block under K Nuagaon police limits. The group was heading to the Singhasani shrine in Polsara for what is believed to have been a religious visit.
Police sources said the bus, coming from behind, allegedly struck the auto-rickshaw, dragging it for several metres before coming to a halt. All occupants of the auto-rickshaw suffered serious injuries in the impact and three among them died on the spot.
Locals rushed to the spot and assisted police and fire fighters in rescuing the injured, who were immediately shifted to the Kodala Community Health Centre. Doctors declared three others dead during treatment, while the four others continue to receive care for critical injuries.
Police have seized the bodies for postmortem examination and efforts are underway to apprehend the bus driver, who fled the scene soon after the accident. Both the bus and the auto-rickshaw have been seized.
