5 dead, 35 injured after bus falls from bridge in Odisha’s Jajpur

At least five persons, including a woman, died and around 35 others were injured after a bus fell from a bridge in Odisha’s Jajpur district on Monday evening, police said.

The incident took place around 9 pm on Barabati bridge on National Highway-16, when the bus with about 47 passengers was en route to West Bengal from Puri, they said.

“Four men and a woman have died in the accident. Around 40 people were injured, and they were taken to Cuttack SCB Medical College,” said Tapan Kumar Naik, Inspector in-Charge of Dharamshala Police Station.

The driver lost control of the vehicle, which resulted in the accident, police said.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the deaths and announced an ex gratia of Rs 3 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased.

Meanwhile, Transport Commissioner Amitav Thakur said the bus was bound for Haldia in West Bengal.

"We have formed a team of doctors for treatment. The injured, including women and children, are being brought to Cuttack with the help of 16 ambulances. The rescue operation has ended as the bus was lifted with a crane,” he said.

Nikhil Pavan Kalyan, Collector and District Magistrate of Jajpur, said gas cutters were used to cut through the metal and rescue the passengers from the bus.

SP Vinit Agrawal added that the deceased are yet to be identified and that most of the passengers hailed from West Bengal.