Ganjam (Odisha): At least 11 were killed and 6 others injured in a head-on collision involving an OSRTC bus and a private bus in Ganjam, Odisha, during the small hours, on Monday. The two buses were mangled and twisted out of shape under the impact of the collision.
The tragic road mishap reportedly took place near Digapahandi in Ganjam district at around 1 am. A marriage party, which was travelling in the private bus, suffered the most in terms of casualties. Harrowing scenes were witnessed at the spot following screams by the seriously injured persons who suffered bleeding wounds.
Police said the mishap took place when the passengers were fast asleep and many of them are yet to recover from the shock. The other road users who witnessed the accident alerted the authorities and launched rescue operations. Ambulances were rushed to the scene of the accident and the injured persons were given first aid before being shifted to the hospital.
All the injured passengers of the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) bus and the private bus have been admitted to Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati (MKCG) Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur. The deceased passengers were those travelling in the private bus, which had taken much of the impact in the accident.
The OSRTC bus was on its way from Rayagada to the Odisha Capital City of Bhubaneswar. The private bus ferrying the marriage party was returning from Khandadeuli village in the Berhampur area in the State. The bodies of the deceased have been moved to the morgue for post-mortem examination.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has tweeted his condolence message for the Odisha tragic road accident victims' families.
The authorities who are investigating the cause of the accident said the bodies will be handed over to the families are post-mortem and efforts are on to identify the deceased. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has expressed deep his grief over the death of the people in the bus accident and has announced a solatium of Rs. 3 lakh to the kin of the deceased, according to the Chief Minister's Office. The government has also announced Rs 30,000 for each injured person for treatment under the supervision of the Ganjam District Administration.
