Sundargarh: At least four people lost their lives and more than 20 others were injured after a bus collided head-on with a truck on National Highway-143 near Musabira under Chandiposh police limits in Odisha's Sundargarh district on Tuesday night.

According to reports, the accident occurred around 9:10 PM when the bus, travelling from Rourkela to Mangalpur in Jajpur district, reportedly lost control. The driver is said to have veered across the road divider, leading to a head-on crash with an iron-laden truck coming from the opposite direction.

The impact of the collision was severe, killing four people on the spot. The deceased include both drivers of the bus, its helper, and the truck driver.

The deceased bus driver has been identified as Manas Ranjan Panda (35) of Mandarkhand village under Nandipur panchayat in Dasarathpur block of Jajpur district.

The second driver, who was present in the cabin at the time of the accident, has been identified as Niranjan Rout (53) of Purunasahi village under Malikapur panchayat in Dasarathpur block.

The bus helper, Shiva Prasad Nayak (52) from Bajrapat village under Mangalpur panchayat, also died in the crash.

Meanwhile, the bus conductor, Akshaya Gedi (47) of Khandara panchayat, sustained critical injuries. He suffered a head injury and a fractured left arm and is currently undergoing treatment.

More than 20 passengers were injured in the accident, with at least five reported to be in serious condition. The injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Police have begun an investigation into the incident to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.