Two people died, and nine received severe injuries when a Kolkata-bound passenger bus collided with a stationary lorry from behind near the Lakshmannath toll gate in Jaleswar, under Balasore district. Following the crash, local police from Jaleswar Police Station and fire services personnel promptly arrived at the scene and launched a rescue operation. The injured passengers were immediately transferred to the Jaleswar Community Health Centre (CHC).
According to official sources, nine passengers sustained serious injuries; two of them have been shifted to Balasore District Headquarters Hospital for advanced treatment. The remaining injured are receiving medical care at local facilities.
"We were en route to Kolkata from Jajpur. At about 2 am, there was a loud bang and jolt. Many of us fell down and received injuries. When we moved out of the bus, we saw that it had hit a lorry," said a passenger on the bus.
Eyewitnesses say that the collision occurred due to poor visibility and potentially excessive speed, although police have yet to confirm the exact cause.
The Jaleswar police have initiated an investigation into the fatal accident. Preliminary investigation suggest the bus driver may have failed to notice the lorry ahead in time while travelling through a dimly lit stretch of the highway.
Authorities are also verifying the vehicle’s fitness certificate and the driver’s credentials. The bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem , and their identities are being confirmed for notification to their families.
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