A journey to Delhi turned into a terrifying ordeal in the early hours of Wednesday when a passenger bus overturned near Jharpokharia Bazaar on National Highway-18 in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, leaving at least 10 people injured, two of them critically.
The crash occurred around 3:00 AM as the bus, carrying roughly 42 passengers, suddenly lost control on the highway stretch and veered off the road before toppling onto its side. The sudden impact woke sleeping passengers to screams and chaos as many found themselves trapped inside the damaged vehicle in total darkness.
Upon receiving emergency calls, personnel from the Jharpokharia police station alongside Fire Service teams from Saraskana and Bangiriposhi rushed to the scene. Emergency responders initiated a swift rescue operation, cutting through debris and safely extracting passengers trapped inside the overturned cabin.
All injured individuals were given immediate emergency assistance on the spot, while the two critically injured passengers were rushed to the nearby Shirsha Community Health Centre (CHC) for urgent medical care.
Local authorities have cleared the vehicle from the roadside to prevent further traffic disruptions on NH-18. Jharpokharia police have registered a case and launched an investigation to determine whether mechanical failure, driver fatigue, or poor visibility caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
