Puri: Six women pilgrims were injured, one of them critically, after a tourist bus from Madhya Pradesh collided with an electric pole near Teisipur Chhak on Bhubaneswar-Puri National Highway under Pipili police limits on Monday morning.
According to sources, the accident took place when the driver of the bus, carrying over 20 pilgrims, lost control while en route to the pilgrim town of Puri for darshan at the Shree Jagannath Temple, causing the vehicle to swerve off the roadway and ram into the pole.
Hearing the loud crash, local residents rushed to the spot and also alerted police and emergency services. The injured were rescued from the wreckage and shifted to a nearby hospital at Mangalpur for treatment.
Meanwhile, Pipili Police impounded the damaged bus and launched a probe to determine the exact cause of the mishap, including possible overspeeding or mechanical failure.Traffic along this vital pilgrim route experienced temporary disruptions but was restored shortly after the vehicle was removed using a crane. Alternative arrangements were also made for the remaining passengers to reach Puri, the sources added.
