In a devastating road accident on National Highway 520, six people—including three women and three men—lost their lives and over fifteen others sustained serious injuries when a passenger bus collided head-on with a goods truck at around 11:15 AM today.
The Lingaraj passenger bus (OD 23C 8777), en route from Rourkela to Koida, crashed into a truck (CG 22AF 9273) carrying goods. The impact was so severe that multiple passengers were trapped inside the mangled bus. Emergency services, including the Lahunipara Fire Brigade and K Balang Police, rushed to the scene and used hydraulic cutters to rescue the injured.
The deceased have been identified as:
- Shabar Bala (52), bus conductor from Lathikata
- Pushpa Gop (56), from San Rakshi under Keblang Police Station
- Merry Nag (45), from Barsuan under Lahunipara Police Station
- Satyabhama Thakur, from Rakshi under Keblang Police Station
- Karam Pal Singh, from Manchabeda under Keblang Police Station One victim died on the road while being transported for treatment. The identity of another critically injured passenger remains unknown.
All injured were initially treated at K Balang Hospital and later shifted to Rourkela Government Hospital for advanced care. The bodies of the deceased have been kept at Lahunipara Community Health Centre for post-mortem and will be handed over to their families afterward.
Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation. Preliminary findings suggest the bus was traveling on a narrow bypass road to avoid traffic congestion near a railway crossing between K Balang and Rakshi. Locals have long demanded an overbridge at this location, but construction has yet to begin. Residents allege that police have remained silent despite repeated accidents in the area.
