20 pilgrims from Nepal among 21 injured as bus hits truck in Odisha

The accident took place near Talanagar under the Soro Police Station limits when the bus with 61 passengers on board hit the stationary truck from behind on the national highway.

Bhubaneswar: At least 20 pilgrims from Nepal and a person from Uttar Pradesh were injured on Sunday after their bus rammed into a truck on NH-16 in Odisha’s Balasore district, police said.

The accident took place near Talanagar under the Soro Police Station limits when the bus with 61 passengers on board hit the stationary truck from behind on the national highway.

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The passenger vehicle was going to Puri from Kolkata when the collision occurred.

Balasore Sadar Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Sasanka Sekhar Beura said the tourist bus hit the chrome ore-loaded truck, stationed near a dhaba, around 5 am, and 21 people, including 20 pilgrims from Nepal who were travelling in the bus, were injured.

All the injured people were taken to Soro Hospital, and the Nepalese pilgrims were discharged after treatment, he said.

The driver of the bus was later shifted to the district headquarters hospital, Balasore as his condition deteriorated, the SDPO said.

The tourist bus is registered in Uttar Pradesh and the driver hails from that state, the officer said.

The local police made arrangements for food and water for the passengers and took steps to send them to their destination, he said.

“Our bus hit a truck this morning and many of our passengers got minor injuries. We were on our way to Puri for a darshan of Lord Jagannath when the accident happened,” said Kamlesh Kumar Mishra, one of the pilgrims.