4 Pilgrims Killed, 30 Injured As Puri-Bound Bus From UP Overturns In Odisha

Balasore: At least four pilgrims were killed and 30 others injured, some of them critically, after a tourist bus from Uttar Pradesh overturned on the National Highway in Jaleswar area of Odisha’s Balasore district in the early hours of Saturday.

As per preliminary information, the mishap took place on National Highway 16 under the jurisdiction of Jaleswar police station when the bus carrying 57 tourists from different places of Uttar Pradesh was proceeding to Puri.

The vehicle skidded off the road and overturned in the wee hours, leading to the death of four persons, including a woman, and injuries to over 30 others. Around 20 pilgrims were stated to have sustained critical injuries. The critically injured tourists have been shifted to the District Headquarter Hospital (DHH) in Balasore.

Sources said the bus, carrying 57 pilgrims from Siddharth Nagar and Balarampur, had embarked on a tour from UP on September 18.

After visiting several places, the bus was on its way to Puri from Kolkata when the mishap took place.

After getting information about the accident, the NH patrolling vans, Jaleswar police and Fire Service personnel rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation.

The injured pilgrims were immediately taken to a hospital in Jaleswar. Over 17 of them were later shifted to the DHH at Balasore after their condition worsened. Further details are awaited.