How Odisha bus driver saved 48 passengers after suffering cardiac arrest

On Friday, showing his presence of mind and quick action, a bus driver saved the lives of 48 passengers onboard after experiencing a cardiac arrest. The driver of an overnight bus to Bhubaneswar crashed the vehicle into a wall, bringing it to a halt while he was going through a cardiac arrest. While passengers were saved, the driver, however, passed away shortly after that.

The incident happened on Friday night (October 27) near Paburia village in Kandhamal district. According to police, Sana Pradhan, the bus's driver, began experiencing chest pain while driving the bus and eventually lost control.

"He realised that he would not be able to drive further. So, he crashed the vehicle against a roadside wall, following which it came to a stop, and the lives of the passengers could be saved," said Kalyanamayee Sendha, the inspector-in-charge of Tikabali police station.

After the incident, the driver was rushed to a nearby hospital, but doctors there declared him dead due to cardiac arrest, police said. They further stated that following a post-mortem examination, Pradhan's body was given to his family.

The private bus, 'Maa Laxmi', usually starts from Sarangarh in Kandhamal to the state capital Bhubaneswar via G Udayagiri every night, said Sendha. After the incident, the bus left with the passengers for its destination with another driver at the wheel after a while, he said. An investigation into the matter has also started, added Sendha.

In a similar incident in September, a school bus driver saved the lives of 40 school children in Addanki town of Andhra Pradesh before passing away due to cardiac arrest while driving the bus. He managed to stop the vehicle before he passed away.

As per the police, the driver suffered a heart attack after moving from Uppalapadu. But before he passed away, he stopped the vehicle within a matter of seconds, avoiding a significant tragedy and saving the lives of as many as 40 children on board.

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