5 dead, 12 injured as tanker overturns after colliding with bus in Odisha

The accident happened on National Highway 59 at Samarjhola near Hinjili, said police

Five people were killed and 12 others injured as a tanker overturned on a roadside tea stall after a head-on collision with a bus in Odisha's Ganjam district on Thursday morning, police said.

The accident happened on National Highway 59 at Samarjhola near Hinjili, they said.

While four people died on the spot, another person succumbed to the injuries while undergoing treatment at the hospital, police said.

The bus was on the way from Bhawanipatna to Berhampur, while the tanker was going towards Aska when the accident happened, they said.

One person travelling on the bus was killed, and the other four deceased were people sitting at the tea stall, police said.

Expressing grief over the incident, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased.

He also announced Rs 1 lakh compensation for the seriously injured persons.

Those injured were admitted to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital, officials said.

"Five people have died so far," District Collector Divya Jyoti Parida said.

The deceased are yet to be identified, she said.

A police team and firefighters cleared the highway for traffic, she added.