According to sources, locals rushed to the spot on hearing a loud bang around 5.30 am. They found three occupants trapped inside the badly-mangled car while one lying on the road with his head crushed. The injured were rescued and sent to hospital in an ambulance.

Eyewitnesses told local channels that the car was en route to Damana from Patia when the driver lost control over the vehicle, crossed the media and crashed into the bus, coming from the opposite direction.

Police have initiated an investigation into the matter.

With this, accidents have claimed around 23 lives in the first 3 days of ‘zero fatality week being observed in the state from December 1-7. Twenty persons, including 8 alone in Keonjhar district, had died in separate mishaps on the first day of the initiative.