Bus carrying Sabarimala pilgrims crashes into tree; 17 injured

MALAPPURAM: A bus carrying Sabarimala pilgrims met with an accident. The accident took place at Malappuram Valanchery, Vattapara. The bus went out of control and hit a tree. 17 people on the bus were injured in the accident.

The accident happened around 6.45 am today. A vehicle travelling by residents of Kozhikode Tamarassery lost control and crashed into a tree. The passengers have been admitted to a private hospital in Valancherry. The preliminary conclusion is that the driver fell asleep while driving.

An incident was reported the other day in which two people were injured in a collision between the vehicle of devotees coming from Sabarimala pilgrimage and an auto rickshaw going to Kuttikanam. The accident took place near Kuttikanam pine forest. The injured were pilgrims from Tamil Nadu. They were admitted to Kottayam Medical College after initial treatment at Peerumedu Taluk Hospital.

The Sabarimala pilgrims' vehicle, which came in the wrong direction, rammed into the autorickshaw. When the autorickshaw overturned, the car hit the dirt mound. This averted a major disaster. It is reported that the driver of the car fell asleep as the cause of the accident.