At least five persons, including a woman, died and around 40 others were injured after a Kolkata-bound bus fell from a bridge in Odisha’s Jajpur district on Monday evening, police said.

The incident took place around 9 pm on Barabati bridge on National Highway-16, when the bus with 50 passengers was en route to Kolkata from Puri, they said.

“Four men and a woman have died in the accident. Around 40 people are injured, and 30 of them are being taken to Cuttack SCB Medical College,” said Tapan Kumar Naik, Inspector in-Charge of Dharamshala Police Station.

Rescue operation is underway at the accident spot, he said.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the deaths and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased.