Three persons were killed and over 30 others sustained injuries as the bus carrying them skidded into a canal near Jiunti Chhak in the Astarang area of Puri district on Wednesday morning.
The tragedy took place when the private bus ‘HariOm’ was on its way to Paradip from Astarang. The driver lost control over the wheels reportedly due to steering failure, following which the bus turned turtle and fell into the canal.
While three persons, including the conductor and helper of the bus, died on the spot, the injured were admitted to the Kakatpur hospital. As many as 20 of the injured persons were later shifted to hospitals in Bhubaneswar as their conditions deteriorated.
Irate locals staged a road blockade near Jiunti demanding compensation for the families of the deceased. Police officials reached the spot and pacified the agitators, following which the blockade was withdrawn.