BERHAMPUR: One person died and 32 others were injured when the bus they were going in, fell down from Taptapani ghat in Ganjam district on Tuesday. Sources said, the bus was on its way to Chandiput in Gajapati district from Duaragan under Digapahandi when the driver lost control over the steering and the bus skidded off the ghat road. It rolled down around 30 feet before hitting the ground.
While some passengers were thrown out of the vehicle under the impact, others crawled out and waited for help in the forested area. On being informed, Patapur police along with fire-fighters and ambulance rushed to the spot and rescued the passengers.
All the injured were taken to Digapahandi hospital where the doctors declared one of them brought dead. The deceased is Raghu Gouda (36). Of the 32 injured, 29 were shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital here. After the mishap, the driver fled from the spot. The bus did not have necessary permit, said Patapur Inspector in-charge Ramesh Pradhan. A manhunt has been launched to nab the driver, he added.