1 dead, 20 injured as OSRTC bus plunges into gorge in Odisha’s Koraput

At least one person was killed and around 20 others were 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 around 2 am in the Sunki ghat section under Pottangi block, when a bus operated by the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) was travelling from Bhawanipatna to Visakhapatnam. According to officials, the vehicle veered off National Highway-26 at a sharp bend and fell nearly 40 feet down the hillside, overturning upon impact.

“The bus lost control at a curve and plunged into the gorge. Several passengers were thrown inside the vehicle due to the force of the fall, while one person was trapped underneath,” said Sunki police station inspector-in-charge Chatrubhuja Nayak.

The deceased was identified as Jambab Bihari (40) , a resident of Balagaon village in Kalahandi district. He was rescued in critical condition and taken to the Pottangi Community Health Centre, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Emergency response teams, including fire personnel from Jeypore and Semiliguda, carried out rescue operations and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals. Four critically injured passengers were later referred to Koraput Medical College and Hospital for advanced treatment, while two others were taken to Visakhapatnam through private arrangements.

Preliminary accounts from passengers suggest that the accident may have been caused by the driver dozing off, although officials said the exact cause is yet to be determined.

Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the incident.