SAMBALPUR: More than 10 passengers were injured after a tourist vehicle overturned on the Sambalpur–Rairakhol road near Kansar late on Friday night.
The vehicle reportedly lost control, hit an electric pole and then rammed into the bridge safety wall before turning turtle on the road.
The vehicle was carrying about 17 passengers at the time, and the sudden crash triggered panic among them, leaving several injured with varying degrees of severity. Nearby residents, alerted by the impact, rushed to the scene and informed the police and emergency services.
Seven injured passengers were admitted to Sambalpur District Headquarters Hospital, while others were shifted to VIMSAR, Burla, for further treatment. Hospital authorities said some of the injured are under observation, while a few are being treated for fractures and trauma.
One of the passengers alleged that the driver may have dozed off briefly and, by the time he reacted, the vehicle had already crashed into the bridge structure. The passenger also claimed that several members of a family were travelling together in the 20-seater vehicle.
In the immediate aftermath, an ambulance travelling towards Bhubaneswar with a pregnant woman onboard stopped after noticing the overturned vehicle. The ambulance staff extended prompt assistance and helped ferry some of the injured to the hospital before additional emergency vehicles reached the site. Police have launched an inquiry into the incident.