Nine passengers sustained injuries—two of them critically—after a tourist bus carrying approximately 55 pilgrims from West Bengal collided with a stationary truck in Odisha’s Jajpur district early Friday morning.
The mishap occurred on the Badachana Bridge along National Highway-16 (NH-16), under the jurisdiction of the Badachana police station. According to preliminary reports, the ill-fated bus, named ‘Maa Padma’, was en route to the holy town of Puri when the driver reportedly lost control and rammed into the parked heavy vehicle.
The impact of the collision left nine travellers injured. While seven passengers escaped with minor bruises and were administered first aid locally, two individuals suffered critical injuries. Emergency responders rushed the severely injured duo to a nearby healthcare facility before shifting them to Srirama Chandra Bhanja (SCB) Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for advanced medical care.
Upon receiving information about the crash, a team from the Badachana police station arrived at the scene, rescued the stranded passengers, and cleared the highway to restore normal traffic flow.
Police have seized the vehicles involved and initiated an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the accident. Further details regarding the identities of the injured are awaited.
