Bhubaneswar: One pilgrim was killed while 16 sustained injuries after a bus overturned near CIFA on the Bhubaneswar-Puri National Highway on Sunday.
The injured have been admitted to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar. The bus, which was carrying pilgrims from Bangladesh, was en route to Puri, with over 65 passengers on board.
The pilgrims, hailing from Chattogram districts of Bangladesh, were on a religious tour with plans to visit Lord Jagannath in Puri and later head to Vishwanath Temple.
They had already visited Ayodhya and Dwarka before arriving in Odisha.
The group was travelling in two buses, with a total of around 140 pilgrims. The accident occurred when the driver of the second bus allegedly fell asleep while driving.
As a result, the vehicle veered off the road and plunged into a roadside ditch near Siphon. Passengers were trapped inside and cried for help. Fellow passengers launched immediate rescue efforts from the first bus, local residents, and police personnel.
Emergency services, including ambulances and fire brigade units, rushed to the spot and continued the rescue operation.
One of the critically injured passengers reportedly died en route to the hospital, while several others remain in serious condition.
The local residents are actively assisting in the rescue and relief efforts.
“As many as 16 pilgrims from Bangladesh had sustained injuries in the accident that occurred in the Pipili police station area during the wee hours on Sunday. One woman passenger, Nonibala Nath of Bangladesh, succumbed to the injuries en route to the capital hospital in Bhubaneshwar,” said Souymendu Sekhar Tripathy, Inspector In-Charge of Pipili police station.
Tripathy added that three seriously injured patients have been referred to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, for advanced treatment.
“Other pilgrims with minor injuries have been discharged from the hospital after primary treatment. Though the actual cause of the accident is not yet confirmed, it is suspected that the driver might have dozed off due to exhaustion,” said Tripathy.
