Bus Crashes into Stationary Truck in Balasore; Two Dead, Several Injured
Balasore, Odisha — In a tragic highway accident early Wednesday morning, a passenger bus en route from Narsinghpur (Dhenkanal) to Kolkata rammed into a stationary truck on National Highway-16 near Lakshmannath in Balasore’s Jaleswar area.
The collision occurred around 3 AM, killing two and injuring several others.
The deceased have been identified as the bus driver, Mir Abdul Rahim (39) of Salepur, and the helper, Nrusingha Kathua (40) of Mahanga. The impact severely mangled the front portion of the bus, with most casualties seated near the driver’s cabin.
Fire service teams responded swiftly, rescuing the injured and transporting them to nearby hospitals. Among the injured were Parana Begum (25) and Gulhar Bibi (52) from Dhenkanal, Suresh Parida (29), Sanjeeb Sahu (30), and Manas Mohanty (25) from Bhadrak, Prabir Behera (30) from Kendrapada, and conductor Rudrajit Mahapatra (30) from Nimapada. As their condition worsened, Begum and Bibi were shifted to Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital in Balasore.
Jaleswar police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. Authorities are examining whether poor visibility or negligence played a role.
This incident underscores the urgent need for improved highway safety measures and robust roadside assistance protocols across Odisha’s national highways.
