Tourist bus driver was tired after trip to Velankanni, caused fear to many vehicles on way

THRISSUR: Eyewitnesses said the tragic accident in which a tourist bus ramming into the rear of a KSRTC bus in Vadakancherry was due to the over speed of the driver of the tourist bus. The tourist bus driver was tired after a trip to Velankanni. The driver was sweating and was fatigued. Feeling suspicious, Shanty, mother of a student in the school trip, asked the driver to be careful. He asked them not to panic and that there were two drivers.

An eyewitness said the tourist bus which met with the accident reached there after causing fear to other vehicles as well. He said the tourist bus rammed into the rear of the KSRTC bus while overtaking another vehicle.

The over-speeding tourist bus hit the back of the KSRTC bus and then overturned. After hitting the bus, it moved slowly and fell into a swamp. The accident occurred while trying to overtake the KSRTC bus. Eyewitnesses said the tourist bus overtook many other vehicles. In the impact, a part of the KSRTC bus was inside the tourist bus.

The rescue operations started immediately after the accident. However, the effort of taking out those stranded in the tourist bus was difficult. Many people were taken out after cutting large chunks of the metal. Some died on the spot itself. Many passengers of the KSRTC bus fell on the road.

The rescue workers said the KSRTC bus braked suddenly when a person showed hands. Sudheesh and Jijo, who came for rescue operations, stated that though the over speeded tourist bus applied brakes, it couldn’t stop.

The accident happened near Palakkad Vadakkanchery Anjumoorthy Mangalam Kollathara Bus stop at 12.30 am Thursday morning. The bus carrying children of Mar Baselious Vidya Niketan School in Mulanthuruthy in Ernakulam hit behind a KSRTC bus going to Coimbatore from Kottarakkara.

Six men and three women are among the dead. Rohit Raj (24) of Thrissur Nadathara Kozhukulli Gokulam, O Anoop (22) of Kollam Valliyodu Vaidyankunnu Shanthi Mandiram, Nancy George, V K Vishnu, employees of the school are among the dead. Police said nearly 50 people have sustained injuries. The death toll is likely to rise.