Bhubaneswar: One person died and 15 others were injured as a bus, carrying Bangladeshi pilgrims, overturned near Uttara Square on Bhubaneswar-Puri National Highway in the early hours of Sunday.
The deceased has been identified as Nonibala Nath (60) from Noakhali, Bangladesh.
According to sources, two buses with around 140 pilgrims, including 17 children, from Chittagong in Bangladesh, arrived in India on March 17. The accident took place around 2.20 am when they were en route to Puri for darshan of Lord Jagannath after visiting Ayodhya, Prayagraj, Dwarka and Varanasi. The ill-fated bus veered off the road and fell into a canal after the driver reportedly dozed off.
Fellow passengers travelling in the other bus, locals, and police personnel soon rescued the injured, who were then shifted to Capital Hospital here. One of the critically injured persons, however, died at the hospital.
If this was not enough, one of the ambulances carrying the injured hit the parapet of an overbridge near Shishu Bhavan Square. Three other critically injured were later referred to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar.
One of the injured told the media that the helper was driving the bus since the driver was sleeping after being behind wheels for two consecutive days. “The helper rammed the bus onto the divider and lost control over the vehicle, which then fell into the roadside canal. Fortunately, the canal did not have much water. We were all asleep when the bus overturned after veering off the road,” he said.
While police have begun an investigation and making efforts to nab the driver and the helper, who absconded after the accident, pilgrims in the other bus have left for Puri.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena expressed condolences and directed authorities to provide all necessary assistance. “Senior officials from Bhubaneswar RTO-1 and Puri RTO were present at the accident site and hospitals, ensuring all required aid was provided. After receiving medical treatment, 12 passengers were discharged and arrangements were made to transport them to Puri via a special bus provided by Bhubaneswar RTO-1,” he added.
Meanwhile, MVI Chittaranjan Sahu and Junior MVI Dharmendra Dehury have begun an investigation into the cause of the accident. The Minister has instructed them to submit a comprehensive report on the incident.
