Seventeen passengers were injured—four critically—when a private bus overturned near Sariganda Chhak in Daspalla, Nayagarh, early Friday morning.
The accident occurred while the bus was en route to Bolangir, reportedly losing control during a turn.
Locals rushed to the scene, helping extricate the victims from the wreckage. The injured were initially treated at Daspalla Hospital, then transferred to the Nayagarh District Headquarters Hospital for advanced care.
Shockingly, the bus driver fled the scene. Passengers claim he was intoxicated and driving recklessly. “They were drunk—my parents suffered broken spines,” said one distressed passenger. The helper suggested a truck cut across their path just before the crash.
Police arrived promptly and seized the vehicle. A probe into the driver’s conduct and the bus operator’s accountability has been launched. This incident has sparked renewed concerns about passenger safety and the regulation of private transport services in Odisha.
