Bhubaneswar, Jan 2 (IANS): Three persons died and more than 20 reportedly injured after a passenger bus and a truck collided head-on at Katarapada Square under Nischintakoili police station in Odisha's Cuttack district on Tuesday.

Expressing grief over the tragic accident, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakhs each for the next of kin of the deceased persons. Patnaik has also directed the authorities to provide all medical facilities to nine seriously injured persons at the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.

The deceased were identified as Anasuya Barik of Aali area, Nalini Gahana of Rajkanika area in Kendrapara district and Mohan Lal, the driver of the truck, who hails from Rajasthan.

Several others in critical condition have been undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College.

“A bus ‘Manorama’ carrying over 60 passengers from Kendrapara was heading towards Cuttack on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, a Kendrapara-bound truck rammed into the bus at Katarapada Square reportedly due to poor visibility caused by thick fog,” said the Inspector In-Charge (IIC) of Nischintakoili police station.

Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur said that it is ascertained prima facie that the bus and truck collided head-on due to thick fog. He said that the local RTO officials and crash investigation team have been checking the fitness, licence and overloading of the vehicles involved in the accident.