DHENKIKOTE: At least 15 passengers were injured, three of them critically, after a Hyva hit a passenger bus on National Highway 20 near Sanmasinabila Square in Keonjhar district late Thursday night.
Police said the bus, Maa Padmabati (OD 11 J 9464), was travelling from Bahalda in Mayurbhanj district to Bhubaneswar when the Hyva (OD 09 P 5521) rammed it from behind at around midnight on the NH under Badmasinabila panchayat in the Dhenkikote police outpost area.
The collision caused the bus to lose control, cross over to the other side of the highway and overturn.
The injured persons were initially rescued and taken to Dhenkikote hospital for treatment.
Three of them were later shifted to the district headquarters hospital. On being alerted, Dhenkikote outpost officer Trinath Nayak and Ghatgaon police station IIC Shubhranta Jena rushed to the spot.
Police personnel, along with firefighters and local residents, carried out a rescue operation and evacuated passengers trapped inside the overturned bus.
Police seized both the vehicles, and a case was registered at Ghatgaon police station.
Further investigation was underway.
