21 dead as bus falls off bridge in Odisha, CM announces Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia

Of the 30 injured, at least 15 are said to be in a serious condition, the Indian Express reported.

Bhubaneswar: At least 21 people were killed on Friday when a passenger bus fell off a bridge in Odisha’s Angul district, a media report said.

Fourteen people were killed on the spot while seven others died in hospitals in Angul and Cuttack. Of the 30 injured, at least 15 are said to be serious, the Indian Express reported.

The bus was on its way from Boudh to Athmallik in Angul district when the accident took place. The bus fell off the old Manitri bridge after the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle.

A witness said the driver was talking over phone when a kid riding a bicycle suddenly came from the opposite side. “The driver suddenly took a left turn and broke off the bridge railings,” the report quoted a witness as saying.

The bus has been destroyed in the accident. “All the passengers have been taken out of the vehicle,” District collector Anil Samal said.

“Arrangements are being made to shift the injured ones to Angul and other hospitals,” the report quoted him as saying.

The injured are being treated for free.

Among the dead are four school students of Boudh.

The state government has ordered a probe into the accident.

Meanwhile, Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of the kin of the deceased.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed their condolence over Twitter.