BALASORE: A man died after suffering a heart attack while driving a bus, but not before stopping the vehicle on time, saving the lives of over 60 passengers in Odisha's Balasore district on Tuesday, police said.
The incident took place at Patapur Chhak in Odisha's Balasore district early on Tuesday.
Quoting preliminary information police said that the bus carrying tourists from West Bengal was proceeding towards Panchalingeswar Temple in the district when the driver suffered a heart attack.
As soon as he felt pain, the driver stopped the bus on the side of the road and lost consciousness.
Panicked passengers called the local people who rushed the driver identified as Sheikh Akhtar to the nearby Nilgiri sub-divisional hospital. He was declared dead by doctors, police said.
Amit Das, one of the passengers said that the driver suddenly became sick and halted the bus. As soon as the vehicle stopped on one side of the road, he fainted.
He was rushed to the hospital by local people where doctors pronounced him dead. The passengers and local people praised the presence of mind of the driver.