A drowsy bus driver allowed his untrained helper to drive a bus carrying 65 Bangladeshi tourists, leading to an accident at Uttara Chhak near Bhubaneswar. The mishap resulted in one fatality and injured 15 others.

BHUBANESWAR: A drowsy bus driver reportedly allowed his untrained helper to take control of the vehicle, which was transporting 65 Bangladeshi tourists, resulting in a tragic accident at Uttara Chhak near Bhubaneswar on Sunday. The mishap claimed the life of one female passenger and left 15 others with injuries.
The deceased passenger was identified as Nonibala Nath (60) from Noakhali, Bangladesh. Among the injured taken to Capital Hospital, 11 were released on Sunday afternoon, while four women remain hospitalised in stable condition.
Police reported that both the driver and helper fled the scene. An injured tourist, Barada Baidya, recounted: “We were travelling to Puri. The driver was tired and sought to take some rest. He allowed his helper to drive the bus. The helper rammed the bus onto the divider. He lost control and steered the vehicle into a roadside canal. Fortunately, the canal did not have much water. We were all asleep when the bus overturned after veering off the road.”
The incident occurred at about 2.30 am on national highway-316 at the Bhubaneswar-Puri border, near Uttara Chhak. The location, though very close to Bhubaneswar, falls under Pipili police jurisdiction in Puri district.
Inspector-in-charge of Pipili police station, Soumyendu Tripathy, stated: “We have identified the bus driver and helper, who absconded after the accident. They will be arrested soon. Our immediate priority was to rescue the tourists and shift them to hospital. Locals helped us in rescuing the passengers from the overturned bus. Nonibala Nath’s death occurred in the Capital Hospital.”
The tourists, aged between 60 and 70 years, besides some younger members, had arranged two buses from a Kolkata travel agency for their Puri visit. They originated from various Bangladesh regions including Bandarban, Faridpur, Gazipur, Madaripur, Rangamati, Satkhira and Noakhali.
Transport minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena ordered an investigation by the regional transport office (Puri) regarding the accident circumstances. “Govt ensured the timely treatment of the injured passengers. Alternate bus arrangement has been made to transport the Bangladeshi tourists to Puri,” Jena said.