Vakkanchery bus accident: Toll rises to nine, 12 in serious condition

PALAKKAD: The death toll in the accident that happened on the Palakkad-Thrissur national highway after a tourist bus rammed into the rear of a KSRTC bus rose to nine. 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.

The over speeded tourist bus lost control and overturned while trying to overtake the super-fast. The injured have been admitted at Palakkad district hospital, Alathur taluk hospital and hospitals in Thrissur. Seriously injured Eldo of Piravam has been taken to a hospital in Thrissur.

Only ten people have been admitted to Palakkad district hospital. The bodies could not have been identified. Only a palm was reached to the hospital in an ambulance and it has not been identified whom it belongs to.

Those undergoing treatment in the hospital are Muhammed Hashim (Pandalam), Manoj (Kalleppully), Praveen Varghese (Tirupur), Vishnu (Moovattupuzha) and Abdul Rauf (Ponnani).

Those in Thrissur are Harikrishnan (22), Ameya (17), Ananya(17), Sharaddha (15), Aneeja (15), Amritha (15), Thanusree (15), Hin Joseph (15) Janeema (15), Arun Kumar (38), Blessen (18), Elsil (18) and Elsa (18).