Malappuram: One person was killed, and 26 people were injured after a private bus overturned on National Highway 66 at Kuttippuram in Kerala's Malappuram district on Sunday. Among the injured, three are in critical condition.
The deceased is Vaishnav (31), a native of Kozhikode. His body has been kept at the Government Taluk Hospital in Kuttippuram.
Kuttippuram Block Panchayat President said Vaishnav's brother, who was also injured in the accident, is undergoing treatment at the same hospital. He added that the post-mortem examination would be completed later on Sunday.
District Panchayat representatives said all the injured are receiving proper medical care at the Government Taluk Hospital. Those requiring specialised treatment will be shifted to MIMS Hospital in Kottakkal.
According to preliminary reports, the bus lost control, hit the road divider and overturned around 11 am.
Kuttippuram Grama Panchayat president Kaippilly Abdullakutty told Reporter TV that the exact number of passengers on board was yet to be ascertained.
"The injured have been shifted to a nearby private hospital and the Government Taluk Hospital for treatment," he said.
The bus, named Defender, was operating on the Thrissur–Kozhikode route. Eyewitnesses alleged that overspeeding led to the accident.
Local residents rushed to the spot and began rescue operations before police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel arrived.
Visuals aired by television channels showed a car, which had reportedly been left parked by the roadside after an earlier accident, trapped beneath the overturned bus which is completely damaged.
A senior police officer said that the bus is suspected to have been speeding, and since it was also raining, both of which could have resulted in the accident.
The officer said that the bus hit the divider and then cut across it to the other side of the road and overturned atop the barrier.
One of the people who gathered at the site told a TV channel that after the accident, everyone panicked as diesel was falling on them as the bus lay upside down and people were facing difficulty getting out of it.
District Panchayat representatives said all the injured are receiving proper medical care at the Government Taluk Hospital. Those requiring specialised treatment will be shifted to MIMS Hospital in Kottakkal.
Meanwhile, local residents alleged that road accidents are a frequent occurrence near Kailas Auditorium, where the mishap took place. They demanded that authorities install warning signs and take adequate road safety measures to prevent similar accidents in the future.
