KORAPUT: At least one person was killed and around 20 others injured after a state-run bus plunged into a gorge in Odisha’s Koraput district in the early hours of Saturday, police said. The accident occurred in the Sunki ghat section under Pottangi block at around 2am. The Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) bus was travelling from Bhawanipatna to Visakhapatnam in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh when it met with the accident near Panasamanagudi village. “The bus veered off NH-26 at a sharp bend and plunged nearly 40 feet down the ghat road, overturning in the process. Due to the impact, passengers were thrown inside the vehicle, while one passenger got trapped under the bus,” Sunki police station inspector-in-charge Chatrubhuja Nayak said. “Fire personnel from Jeypore and Semiliguda joined in the rescue operation,” he added. The deceased has been identified as Jambab Bihari (40), a resident of Balagaon village in Kalampur block of Kalahandi district. He was rescued in a critical condition and taken to Pottangi Community Health Centre, where he died during treatment, police said. Four critically injured passengers were shifted to Koraput Medical College and Hospital after initial treatment, while two others were taken to Visakhapatnam through private arrangements. A passenger, Bhagirathi Bag, who was seated in the front row, said, “The accident occurred because the driver apparently dozed off.” “An investigation is underway into the accident,” the police officer said.
