Odisha: Driver killed, 9 injured as bus carrying pilgrims rams into overbridge wall
Balasore (PTI): The driver of an Andhra Pradesh-bound bus carrying pilgrims from West Bengal died and nine passengers suffered injuries when the vehicle rammed into the wall of an overbridge on National Highway 16 in Odisha's Balasore district on Friday, police said.
The accident took place at Bahanaga Bazaar in the early hours, with the driver suspected to have dozed off while driving, a police officer said.
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The impact of the collision was so severe that the driver was thrown out of the vehicle through the smashed windscreen and he fell from the overpass onto the road below, dying on the spot, Khantapada police station inspector-in-charge Anurag Mohanty said, adding the deceased hailed from Andhra Pradesh.
The front portion of the bus was severely damaged, he said.
At least 40 passengers were on board the bus. The nine injured persons were taken to Khantapara community health centre, where they were administered first aid and released.
Locals rescued the passengers before the arrival of police and fire service personnel.
Bahanaga had witnessed a major train accident on June 2, 2023, in which 297 people were killed and over 1,200 others were injured.
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Meghalaya: Interstate ATM theft racket busted, 6 arrested
Shillong (PTI): An interstate racket involved in ATM thefts across several states has been busted, with the arrest of six persons in connection with a break-in at an electronic banking outlet in Meghalaya's Ri-Bhoi district, police said on Wednesday.
The accused were allegedly involved in breaking into an ATM of the Meghalaya Cooperative Apex Bank on April 5, 2024, they said.
Three of the accused were arrested from Barpeta in Assam, while the remaining were apprehended from Haryana, police said.
Ri-Bhoi SP Giri Prasad M said a special police team was constituted to investigate the case.
"With coordinated efforts and assistance from Assam and Haryana Police, we were able to apprehend the accused involved in the ATM break-in," he told PTI.
The case was registered at Umiam police station under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
According to police, the gang used gas cutters to break open the ATM safe and fled with the cash within minutes.
"The group is part of a larger network involved in similar ATM thefts across different states. Further investigation is underway to dismantle the entire network," the SP added.
