2 killed, 20 injured as bus carrying pilgrims rams into truck

Two persons were killed and around 20 others injured, when a bus carrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh rammed into a paddy-laden truck in Odishas Bhadrak district on Wednesday, officials said.

The bus with around 60 pilgrims on board rammed into the truck parked along the National Highway No 16 near Barikpur under Dhamnghar police station limits in the early hours of Wednesday, Bhadrak, District Collector, Gyanaranjan Das said.

While one passenger died on the spot another succumbed to injuries in Bhadrak District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) during treatment, officials said.

The bus was on its way to Puri, they said.

Soon after the mishap, locals, police and fire service personnel launched a rescue operation and shifted the injured passengers to the Bhadrak DHH.

Five of injured were later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack as their condition was serious, police said.

The collector visited the district headquarters hospital here and assured the injured passengers that all necessary arrangements have been made for their proper medical treatment.

"I have advised the Red Cross unit to provide financial assistance for their treatment and district administration will take care of the injured passengers," the collector said.