In a terribly tragic incident, at least 19 people were killed and around 30 others injured when a bus in which they were travelling in fell off a bridge near Puruna Manitri near Athmallik here in Angul district on Friday.
While 16 people died on the spot, three succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment at hospitals or on their way to hospitals.
In a first-of-its-kind in the State, the most critically-injured persons were airlifted from the Angul Stadium to the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack.
The accident took place at around 10 am when the vehicle carrying around 60 passengers was on its way to Athmallik from Boudh. The driver of the bus lost control over the wheels, following which the vehicle skidded off the bridge from a height of 50 feet.
Police and fire personnel rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. While 30 injured persons were rushed to the Athmallik Sub-Divisional Hospital, 15 of them were shifted to the Angul District Headquarters Hospital as their conditions deteriorated.
The death toll might to go up, sources said. The driver of the bus fled the spot after the incident.
According to an eyewitness, the driver was talking over mobile phone while at the wheels of the bus on the bridge. A bicycle suddenly came in front of the bus, following which the driver steered the vehicle towards the edge of the bridge in a bid to save the cycle rider. The bus dashed into the wall of the bridge and fell down.
“The bus was completely damaged. All the passengers were taken out of the vehicle,” said Athmallik SDPO Gopal Patnaik.
“The reason behind the accident will be probed. A report has been sought from the concerned RTO in this regard,” said Transport Minister Ramesh Majhi.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the incident and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for kin of each deceased. Patnaik also announced free treatment of the injured persons.