A 20-year-old youth died following a deadly collision between a school bus and a bike near the Jagamanda area under the Padmapur police limits in Odisha’s Rayagada district on Monday. Another person sustained critical injuries in the accident.

The deceased has been identified as Goutam Das, a resident of Dibirisi village near Jira under the Gudari police limits, while the critically injured individual is 19-year-old Saroj Kumar Satpathi from Padmapur.

Reports indicate that both Saroj and Goutam were returning from Gumuda after completing some personal errands when they collided head-on with a bus from Abhyasha Tecno school coming from the opposite direction.

The impact of the accident was so severe that both riders were thrown off their bike onto the road in a bloodied state.

Locals rushed to assist and called for an ambulance, which transported them to the Padmapur Community Health Centre. Unfortunately, the attending doctor declared Goutam dead on arrival, while Saroj was admitted in critical condition. He was later transferred to the Berhampur MKCG hospital as his condition worsened.

Upon receiving information, the Padmapur police arrived at the scene, seizing both the bus and the bike. A case has been registered, and an investigation is currently underway.