Road Accident / Tata Steel Employee Bus Collides with Truck in Dhenkanal, Three Critical

Dhenkanal, Oct 10: At least three contract workers were critically injured after a bus carrying more than 40 employees and labourers to Tata Steel's Meramandali plant was hit by a speeding truck on NH-55 near Nimbahali Chhak under Motanga police limits in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district on Saturday morning.

According to reports, the workers were travelling to the Tata Steel facility at Meramandali in a private bus that regularly ferries employees from nearby villages, including Indipur, Siminai, Chaipur and Gadashila.

The accident occurred in the early hours of the day when a truck travelling from Angul towards Cuttack allegedly rammed into the bus near Nimbahali Chhak and fled the scene.

The collision left three workers critically injured, while the remaining passengers escaped with minor or no injuries. The injured workers were immediately rescued and shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) in Angul for treatment.

Sources said the critically injured workers belong to Indipur and Chaipur villages under Dhenkanal Sadar police limits. They were employed at the Tata Steel plant through a contracting agency.

The bus was carrying workers and staff members to the steel plant, as part of its routine daily service. Witnesses said the truck was moving at high speed when it struck the vehicle before speeding away.
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After getting information, Motanga Police rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. The injured were evacuated and provided medical assistance, while the remaining workers were reported to be safe.

Police registered a case and started an investigation into the accident. Efforts are underway to identify and trace the truck involved in the alleged hit-and-run incident, police said.