20 people killed in two separate road accidents

Berhampur (Odisha): At least 20 people were killed on Monday in two separate road accidents in Odisha and Maharashtra. In Odisha, twelve members of a marriage party were killed and seven others injured as two buses collided head-on in Odisha’s Ganjam district.

The accident occurred late Sunday night near Digapahandi area on Berhampur-Taptapani road, around 35 km from here, when the private bus with the wedding guests on board collided with a state-run OSRTC (Odisha State Road Transport Corporation) bus, Berhampur Superintendent of Police Saravana Vivek M said.

After attending a wedding ceremony at Berhampur, they were returning to Khandadeuli near Digapahandi when the two buses crashed.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the death of people in the accident and wished for the speedy recovery of those injured.

PM Modi and the chief minister announced ex gratia to the next of kin of each deceased.

“Pained by the bus accident in Ganjam district, Odisha. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted.

Patnaik also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and free treatment of injured persons. He also asked state Finance Minister B K Arukha to rush to the accident site.

Eleven of the 12 deceased in the tragic bus accident were relatives of former MP Renubala Pradhan who rushed to the accident site.

The special relief commission has sanctioned Rs 30,000 to each of the injured persons for their treatment.

The private bus of the wedding guests had no permit and insurance, Ganjam district RTO Manas Sahu said.

He also said that the owner of the private bus was “responsible for the accident as the 25-year-old vehicle was plying on roads without any permit”.

The vehicle was registered on March 26, 1998, and the insurance of the bus expired in April this year.

Meanwhile, in Maharashtra, at least eight persons were killed and seven others injured when a speeding truck collided with a passenger vehicle in Ratnagiri district.

The accident occurred at Asud on the Dapoli-Harnai Road when a truck heading towards Dapoli from Harnai being driven on the wrong side of the road rammed into a three-wheeler vehicle, carrying 15 passengers on Sunday afternoon, an official said.

Five passengers were killed on the spot and three others succumbed to their injuries at a hospital, the official said, adding that seven persons were injured.

In a tweet, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed grief and announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each deceased which will be paid from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.