Three killed, 20 injured in bus accident in Orissa

Keonjhar, Feb 17: Three people were killed and twenty others injured, five of them seriously, when a private bus fell into the Baitarani river near Turumunga, about 40 kms from here, early today.

The bus, carrying at least 55 passengers, was on its way from Angul to Tata when the accident occurred. Sources said the bus hit a truck on a bridge due to heavy fog and fell into the river.

Turumunga Police in-charge Bijaya Kumar Murmu told sources from the accident site that the bodies of three people, including two women, were recovered from the bus. The river had chest high water and many passengers were rescued from the bus by the villagers, he added.

The bus had been retrieved from the river and searched by the fire brigade officials, he added. The five seriously injured were shifted to the Karanjia Hospital while the 15 others had been admitted to Keonjhar Sadar Hospital.

Senior district officials have rushed to spot to supervise the rescue operation.

UNI