6 killed, 17 injured in bus-truck collision in Odisha; statewide road toll rises to 13

The deceased include three women and three men, while 17 others, including the truck driver, were injured. Identification of the deceased is underway, police said

Published on: Sep 25, 2025, 17:48:48 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneswar: Six people were killed and at least 17 others injured after a Koida-bound bus collided head-on with a truck on National Highway (NH) 520 near Sanambudu on Thursday morning, taking the road accident toll in Odisha to 13 deaths and over 20 injuries in the last 24 hours, police said.

The bus rammed into a truck coming from the opposite direction, trapping several passengers around 11.30am.

“The deceased include three women and three men. Seventeen others, including the truck driver, were injured. Identification of the deceased is underway,” deputy inspector general of police (Western Range) Brijesh Kumar Rai said.

Locals, police, and fire service personnel rescued passengers and took the injured to the Rourkela Government Hospital. Traffic on NH-520 remained disrupted for over an hour after the accident.

Seven more accidents were reported from across southern Odisha districts, taking the death toll to 13.

Also read: Orissa HC orders ₹9.23 lakh compensation for passenger’s death in Neelachal Express

Three motorcycle riders were killed late on Wednesday night when a truck hit them near Mahanala village in Ganjam district. The deceased were identified as Ashwini Kumar Dora, Balakrishna Reddy, and Kalia Behera, all residents of Digapahandi block. Police said poor visibility on the stretch led to the accident.

Two persons were killed and one was critically injured early on Thursday after a sand-laden dumper truck lost balance and rammed into a roadside tree at Bhaleri village in Rayagada. The deceased, Aliksh Patika and Ajay Palaka of Arjunguda village, were returning from Gunupur after unloading sand. They were taken to Gunupur Sub-Divisional Hospital, where doctors declared both of them dead on arrival.

Two youths were killed and four others injured in a head-on collision between two motorcycles near a petrol pump in Narayanpatna late on Wednesday night. Police identified the deceased as Abhi Miniaka and Saharat Tadingi of Gadabaguda village.

Also Read: Trains derail, collide in Odisha accident; scores feared killed

The state has seen 27,167 deaths in road accidents over the last five years, averaging 5,433 fatalities per year, the state government told the state assembly last week. During the same period, 50,041 people sustained injuries in road mishaps across the state.

The year 2024 recorded the highest number of fatalities, with 6,142 deaths reported, while deaths due to road accidents in the state increased by about 7.5% in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2024.

The rising toll is a concern, especially in light of Supreme Court directives urging states to reduce road accident fatalities by 10% annually and target a 50% reduction by 2020 using 2014 as the base year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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