Paradip, June 13: At least three persons were killed and nearly 25 others injured, eight of them seriously, when a Paradip-bound private transport bus collided head-on against a truck from opposite direction near Sarala temple road on the Cuttack-Paradip state highway today.

The injured persons, including children and women, have been shifted to S.C.B Medical College and Hospital. The toll is expected to rise as condition of some of the injured persons is exceedingly critical.

Reckless driving on part of the driver of the speeding truck carrying package edible oil from a manufacturing plant near Paradip to Cuttack had resulted in the accident, said Debadatta Kar, inspector of the Tirtol police station.

Both the truck and passenger bus turned turtle. The crews of the vehicles jumped out to safety and fled from the spot after the accident.

The deceased included Ratankar Nayak (50), cashier of Tirtol sub-division of water resources department. The body of a middle-aged woman is yet to be identified while the other deceased has been identified as one Bansidhar Pasayat (38). All of them with fatal head injuries died on the spot, police said.

The bus was packed beyond its capacity. There were about 85 passengers in it against its permitted capacity of 45 passengers. Some of the passengers were perched on the top as well, police said.

“We have registered a case against the drivers. The owner of the private passenger bus will be booked for unlawfully carrying passengers beyond its capacity,” said Kar.