BHUBANESWAR: At least 16 passengers were injured after a Mo Bus fell off a culvert near Pitapalli in Khurda district on Saturday afternoon.
Around 10 injured passengers were discharged while four were shifted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and two to Capital Hospital here. The injured include a child aged around seven to eight years. One person sustained critical injuries in the accident but his condition is stated to be stable now. Locals acted as first responders and started rescuing the trapped passengers. Later, Odisha Fire and Emergency Service personnel reached the spot and launched a rescue operation.
Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) officials conducted an inquiry into the incident and are waiting to receive more details from police. They said initial investigation suggests the bus driver steered to the extreme left of the road to avoid collision with an auto-rickshaw coming from the wrong side. Officials said the driver followed the standard operating procedure and contacted them after the accident.
At least 32 passengers were travelling in the bus. Khurda district administration aid it will incur the medical expenses of the injured passengers. Meanwhile, BJD’s Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha candidate Manmath Routray met the accident victims at hospital. BJD took no time to highlight it and immediately targeted the saffron party and its candidate Aparajita Sarangi for remaining busy in the campaigning instead of reaching out to victims.