Bhubaneswar, November 20: Expressing deep grief over the death of at least 10 passengers in the Mahanadi bus tragedy on Tuesday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia each to the next of the kin of the deceased.

The Chief Minister conveyed his deep sympathy to the bereaved family. He also announced that the injured persons in the mishap will be given free treatment.

Ten persons were killed and 30 others injured after the passenger bus fell off bridge over Mahanadi River near Jagatpur in Cuttack on Tuesday.

Notably, the passenger bus from colliery town of Talcher was on its way to Cuttack when it came across a buffalo on the bridge near Jagatpur area, forcing the driver to slam the brakes. This caused the vehicle to smash through the bridge’s cement railings and fall 30 feet to land on a sandbar on the riverbed.