Bhubaneswar: Seven passengers suffered minor injuries after a bus from Puri rammed into a tree near Kalpana Square here on Tuesday.

A passenger said they the bus lost control and hit a road divider before ramming into the tree. "The bus was jam-packed and moving slowly when it suddenly hit something and we were thrown off our seats," said a passenger.

Most passengers were returning from Puri after having a darshan of suna besha of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and goddess Subhadra.

The injured passengers hailed from Jajpur, Cuttack and Khurda districts.

Officials from Kalpana Square Fire Station, located a few metres from the spot, rushed to the spot and rescued the passengers. "It took us a few seconds to reach. We rescued the injured and admitted them to Capital Hospital. Most of the injured suffered head injuries," said deputy fire officer, Bhubaneswar, Ramesh Chandra Majhi. They were discharged later in the evening.

The police said the driver of the bus escaped from the spot after the accident.

"Preliminary probes revealed a brake failure led to the mishap. The bus could not be towed from the spot because of mechanical problems. We are trying to nab the driver," said a police officer. The police said a major mishap was averted as the bus did not hit vehicles on the road, one of the busiest in the city.