Odisha: Three killed, 35 hurt in tourist bus mishap
JEYPORE: Three persons including a minor were killed and 35 suffered injuries after a tourist bus overturned and fell into a gorge near Sukunala within Boipariguda police limits in Koraput district on Sunday morning.
Police identified the deceased as bus driver Ranjan Mohanty (59) of Balikuda in Jagatsinghpur, Bhagyasree Mohapatra (21) and Somanath Prusti (6), both of Cuttack. All the injured persons are also from Cuttack.
Sources said over 40 tourists from Cuttack were on way to Gupteswar in a private bus. Near Sukunala, the driver reportedly lost control of the bus and the vehicle fell into a roadside gorge. Mohanty, Mohapatra and Prusti were killed on the spot.
On being informed, BSF jawans of nearby Ramgiri camp rushed to the spot and rescued the passengers trapped inside the ill-fated bus. The injured were rushed to Boipariguda community health centre (CHC) and Jeypore district headquarters hospital for treatment.
The condition of 10 passengers is serious. Sources said the mishap took place due to dense fog which had engulfed the entire Gupteswar area in the morning. Later in the day, senior revenue and police officials reached the mishap site to take stock of the situation. Kotpad MLA Rupu Bhatra met some of the injured tourists in Boipariguda CHC and assured all assistance from the government.