CUTTACK: At least five pilgrims were killed and about 46 injured when the bus they were travelling in rammed a trailer on NH-5 near Tangi in the wee hours of Thursday. Around 10 of the injured are battling for life in the SCB Medical while the condition of others is also stated to be serious but out of danger.Sources said nearly 51 people from Kuligaon village under Khantapada police limits of Balasore district were on their way to Puri when the accident occurred around 3 am. The bus driver lost control over the vehicle and dashed into another heavy vehicle, presumed to be a trailer, from the rear.Such was the impact that the bus was squeezed by several metres and entire rows of seats dislodged.The deceased have been identified as Buddhiram Mallik (40), Karunakara Das (59) Snehalata Patra (30) and Akshay Samal (56). The bus driver, Shaktidhar Mishra, who was pulled out of the mangled remains succumbed in the hospital. Ten of the injured sustained serious head injuries and admitted to the Neurosurgery wing of SCBMCH and six in the Orthopaedic department.Seven have been discharged while the rest are still being treated at the Casualty wing.“Either the driver might have dodged off and dashed into the vehicle or lost control over the vehicle having no space to manoeuvre from a very close range at high speed. The rescue operations were conducted with the help of locals,” said IIC of Tangi police station Sunil Mohanty.The district administration will offer free treatment for the victims of the accident, Collector Girish SN said. The bodies have been handed over to the family members after a post-mortem. The other vehicle is yet to be traced.
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