At least 12 persons were killed and eight others critically injured two buses carrying the passengers collided head-on near Digapahandi in Odisha’s Ganjam district during the wee hours of Monday.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik mourned the death of ill-fated passengers and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased.

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The government-run OSRTC bus and a private bus were involved in the accident. Of the deceased persons, as many as seven of them were from a single family, police said.

The occupants of the private bus were returning to Berhampur after attending a wedding function when the road accident took place. Majority of casualities were the occupants of the private bus.

Locals and fire brigade rescued the victims from the mangled private bus and were received dead at hospital, police said.

The drivers of the buses might have possibly dozed off leading to the mishap. There is a hint of ‘sleep’ in the accident, police said, adding that an unnatural death case has been registered in this connection. Over speeding might also be the cause of the fatal road accident, they concluded.