Deadly bus accident on NH-16: Two killed, 10 injured near Laxmannath toll gate

Balasore

:

Two persons were killed and ten injured when a bus rammed into a stationary truck on NH-16 near Laxmannath toll gate under Jaleswar police limits in Balasore district in the early hours of Wednesday.The deceased have been identified as bus driver Mir Abdul Rahim (39) of Salepur in Cuttack district and helper Nrusingha Kathua (40) of Mahanga. Passengers seated near the driver’s cabin sustained critical injuries.According to police, the bus was travelling from Narsinghpur in Dhenkanal district to Kolkata with more than 40 passengers. Around 3 am, it crashed into a paddy-laden truck that had broken down on the highway.

The impact was so severe that the front section of the bus was completely mangled.Soon after the accident, fire service personnel reached the spot and launched a rescue operation. The injured passengers were rushed to the community health centre (CHC) at Jaleswar. As the condition of two passengers deteriorated, they were later shifted to Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital, Balasore.Eyewitnesses said the truck did not have any warning lights or reflective signs, which might have contributed to the crash. Jaleswar police have launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the accident. Preliminary findings suggest that the bus was moving at high speed at the time of collision.