A tragic road accident claimed the life of a bus driver and left at least 14 passengers critically injured after an Andhra Pradesh-bound pilgrim bus met with a serious mishap in Odisha’s Balasore district early Friday morning.
The incident occurred on the Bahanaga bridge under the jurisdiction of Khantapada police station, along the Balasore–Bhadrak road stretch. The bus, carrying around 50 pilgrims from West Bengal to Andhra Pradesh, reportedly rammed into a bridge divider in the early hours, allegedly after the driver dozed off at the wheel.
Following the impact, the bus remained precariously lodged against the divider, with its front portion severely damaged and part of the vehicle hanging off the bridge. The driver was thrown out through the shattered windscreen and fell beneath the bridge, dying on the spot.
Local residents noticed the accident at around 5.30 am and immediately rushed to assist in rescue operations. With the help of fire department personnel, the injured passengers were extricated from the bus. Fourteen critically injured victims were rushed to Khantapara Community Health Centre (CHC) for treatment, while the remaining passengers were shifted to Bahanaga High School for temporary shelter.
Police later sent the driver’s body for post-mortem examination and initiated an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the accident. Arrangements were being made to transport the stranded passengers onward to Andhra Pradesh.
