Bangripossi: Nearly three killed while over 50 passengers had a narrow escape in two separate road mishaps, Friday.
In the first incident, a stationary bus caught fire on Bangiriposhi Ghati in Mayurbhanj district while the bus carrying around 50 passengers was heading to Betonati Ambajodi from Karanjia Singada this morning.
Luckily, the bus caught fire while the tourists had gone for darshan of goddess after halting the bus near Maa Duarasuni temple. Fire services personnel were pressed into the service to douse the flames.
While the exact cause behind the mishap is yet to be ascertained, it is suspected that the fire triggered due to an electric short-circuit.
In the second incident, three persons lost their lives in Balasore and Boudh in last 12 hours. Two persons including a woman were killed in a tragic road accident that took place on National Highway 16 under Soro police jurisdiction in Balasore district in the wee hours of Friday.
The identities of the deceased were not immediately ascertained.
According to sources, a speeding truck hit a stationary truck on the NH and subsequently hit another bus carrying some passengers from Udala at around 1.3 am.
After the collision with the truck, the passenger bus Jai Jagannath knocked down a roadside tea stall. The driver of the truck and one woman passenger of the bus who was having tea were killed in the mishap.
Two others were also sustained injuries in the mishap. On being informed, Khantapada police reached the spot and seized two trucks and the bus.
According to sources, the private bus carrying some passengers from Udala was heading to Bhubaneswar when the tragedy struck.
In another mishap, a biker was killed after falling into a drain on national highway-57 near Puruna Cuttack in Boudh district. The deceased has been identified as Bhagirathi Sethi of Rambikata village in Boudh.
PNN