As many as 36 tourists from West Bengal were injured, some of them critically, after a tourist bus by which they were travelling skidded the road and fell off the Dhauli Hill on the outskirts of the city on Tuesday morning.
The ill-fated vehicle, bearing registration number WB 29-9036 and carrying 65 tourists including four children, fell off the hill reportedly due to brake failure and turned turtle.
Fire brigade and police personnel rushed to the spot and rescued the victims by breaking the windows of the vehicle with the help of locals.
Initially, all the injured were rushed to the Capital Hospital here while six of them were soon later shifted to the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack as their conditions deteriorated.
“Six of them, who sustained injuries in head, have been shifted to the SCB Medical College Hospital for better treatment. Seven have been admitted here (Capital Hospital) and are under observation. Others were administered primary treatment. Their conditions are stable,” Health Director Kailash Das said.
Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda, BMC Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena and Khordha Collector Niranjan Sahu rushed to the Capital Hospital and inquired about the conditions of the tourists from the neighbouring State.
The bus carrying around 65 tourists from Medinapur of West Bengal had come to Dhauli from Puri.
“The injured were shifted immediately to hospital by fire brigade vehicles, PCR vans and ambulances,” said Kalpana Fire Station Assistant Fire Officer Ramesh Chandra Sethy.
One driver sustained injuries while another driver was absconding after the incident. The State Government declared free treatment for all injured. The Capital Hospital has issued a helpline
No. 0674-2391983.