A routine morning commute turned into a chaotic nightmare on Tuesday when at least 20 passengers were injured after a private bus lost control and crashed into a roadside tree in Kendujhar district.
The accident occurred near Deuladiha Chhak along the Khuntapada-Telkoi road around 7:00 AM.
According to preliminary reports, the vehicle was carrying over 40 passengers and was travelling from Kaliahata, under the Telkoi police limits, toward Keonjhar town. The journey was cut short when the driver’s side front tyre suddenly burst, causing the driver to lose control of the steering wheel. The vehicle veered off the road and collided head-on with a large roadside tree.
The impact of the crash left the front portion of the bus heavily damaged, trapping several passengers inside amid cries for help.
Local commuters and residents rushed to the scene to assist before alerting local authorities. Fire services personnel promptly arrived at the location, carried out a rescue operation, and safely extracted the injured passengers from the wreckage.
All 20 injured victims were immediately rushed to Telkoi Hospital for emergency medical assistance. Police have initiated an inquiry into the incident to assess the exact sequence of events and check the vehicle’s maintenance status.
