Patna, June 13 (IANS) At least 35 people were injured in a major road accident on NH-31 in Bihar’s Katihar after a speeding passenger bus collided head-on with a car and overturned early Saturday, officials said.

According to an official, the bus, with around 50 passengers, many of them migrant labourers heading for work, was travelling from Nalanda district toward different destinations in West Bengal, when the accident occurred near Jurabganj, within the jurisdiction of Kodha Police Station.

As the bus crashed into a speeding car coming from the opposite direction, the impact caused its driver to lose control, leading to the vehicle overturning in the middle of the highway.

Several passengers became trapped between seats and inside the mangled vehicle as panic and chaos spread across the accident site.

Local villagers and personnel from the Bihar Police immediately launched a rescue operation.

Station House Officer Pankaj Anand reached the scene with his team within minutes and, with the help of local youths, broke the bus windows to rescue injured passengers trapped inside.

All 35 injured persons were rushed to the Community Health Centre in Kodha on ambulances and private vehicles.

Doctors later referred 12 critically injured passengers to Purnea Sadar Hospital after detecting severe head and internal injuries.

The driver of the car also sustained serious injuries and was shifted to Purnea for advanced treatment.

Officials said the remaining injured passengers are stable, while several people were discharged after receiving first aid.

The accident severely disrupted traffic movement on NH-31, with long queues of trucks and buses forming on both sides of the highway.

Police later used cranes and a JCB machine to remove the overturned bus and clear debris from the road.

After nearly two hours of effort, normal traffic movement was restored.

Police have seized both the damaged bus and car and initiated a legal investigation into the incident.

–IANS

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