Balasore: Driver of an Andhra Pradesh-bound bus, carrying pilgrims from West Bengal’s Nadia, died, and 14 passengers suffered injuries when the vehicle rammed into the central divider of an overbridge on National Highway 16 in Odisha’s Balasore district on Friday morning.
According to sources, the accident took place at around 5.30 am near Bahanaga C
hhak under Khantapada police limits when the bus, carrying around 40 passengers, struck the bridge’s central divider and was left dangling partly over the edge of the bridge. The impact was so severe that the driver was thrown out through the smashed windshield and fell nearly 20 feet down from the bridge, dying on the spot.
Police from Khantapada, personnel from the Bahanaga Fire Services, and National Highway police soon reached the spot and rescued the injured. Around 14 passengers sustained serious injuries in the crash and were rushed to Khantapada Community Health Centre for treatment. The pilgrims were scheduled to visit Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, the sources added.
An investigation is underway to ascertain the reason behind the crash.