A routine overnight journey turned into a nightmare for dozens of passengers early Tuesday when a private bus plunged 20 feet off the Nayagada bypass road, leaving roughly 40 people injured.
The bus, named Omm Shree Chakadola (Registration: OD 02 J 5127), was traveling from Daringbadi to Bhubaneswar. According to passenger accounts, the bus departed Bhanjanagar around 10:00 PM on Monday. At approximately 2:00 AM on Tuesday, while navigating the bypass connecting Itamati to Sunalati, the driver lost control. The speeding vehicle smashed through the roadside guard wall and safety barriers, tumbling into an adjacent agricultural field and overturning.
The impact completely crushed the exterior of the bus, briefly trapping the panicked passengers inside the dark cabin. In a desperate bid for survival, passengers managed to smash the front windshield, crawling out through the broken glass to safety before emergency services arrived.
Local authorities and ambulances rushed the injured—including the driver—to the Nayagada District Headquarters Hospital. While most are receiving ongoing treatment there, several passengers sustained severe injuries. Reports indicate that up to nine individuals in critical condition have been transferred to major medical facilities in Bhubaneswar and Kataka for advanced care.
Survivors have alleged that reckless, high-speed driving was the primary cause of the crash. The Itamati Police have arrived at the scene and launched a formal investigation to determine the exact circumstances that led the driver to lose control.
