Out-of-control car rams auto-rickshaw before crashing into KSRTC bus; nine-year-old among five injured

UDIYANKULANGARA: Five people sustained critical injuries on Saturday afternoon after an out-of-control car collided with an auto-rickshaw and a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus on the national highway. The accident occurred at Udiyankulangara at approximately 3:10 PM.
According to eyewitnesses and local authorities, the car was traveling from the Neyyattinkara direction when the driver lost control of the vehicle. It first struck an oncoming auto-rickshaw heading toward Neyyattinkara from Parassala, before crashing heavily into a KSRTC bus and grinding to a halt.
The occupants of the car have been identified as Binu (39), Anliya (10), and Anlin (9), all residents of Kulasekharam. The impact of the initial collision threw nine-year-old Anlin out of the vehicle and onto the road. Local residents rushed to the scene to initiate rescue operations, immediately transporting the injured trio to the Parassala Government Hospital. They were later transferred to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital due to the severity of their injuries.
The crash also left the auto-rickshaw driver, identified as 70-year-old Thankarajan from Thalachanvila, and a bus passenger, Anjana (29), with severe injuries. Both are currently undergoing treatment at the Parassala Taluk Hospital.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the driver of the car falling asleep at the wheel may have triggered the multi-vehicle collision.
The accident caused a massive traffic gridlock on the national highway that lasted for several hours. A team from the Parassala Fire and Rescue Services was deployed to the scene to flush away engine oil that had leaked across the tarmac from the wrecked car, restoring safe passage for subsequent commuters.