Coimbatore, Feb 20, 2020: At least 20 people were killed and several injured on February 20 when a Volvo bus of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on its way to Ernakulam from Bengaluru collided with a lorry at Avinashi in Tamil Nadu.
According to preliminary reports, the incident took place at around 3:15 am when the lorry, which was coming from the opposite direction, lost control while trying to overtake and rammed into the 48-seater bus.
Most of the deceased were from Thrissur, Palakkad and Ernakulam districts of Kerala. The bus left Bengaluru at 8 pm on February 19 and was supposed to reach Ernakulam at 7am next day, The News Minute reported.
Kerala’s Transport Minister AK Saseendran said injured passengers had been rushed to hospital. He further announced that the families of those who lost their lives will be given 1 million rupees as ex-gratia. An amount of 200,000 rupee will be given to the families immediately.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among those who expressed anguish over the bus accident. He condoled the deaths expressed the hope the wounded would recover soon.
“Extremely anguished by the bus accident … In this hour of grief, my thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families. I hope those who are injured recover at the earliest,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a tweet quoting Modi.
The mishap took place at Avinashi town near Coimbatore.
Expressing his condolence, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed Palakkad district collector to provide all assistance to the injured and make arrangements to bring the bodies of the deceased.
In a statement, the chief minister said they were coordinating with the Tamil Nadu governemt and taking all action possible.
Meanwhile survivors narrated heart-wrenching stories.
K. Charishma woke up from her deep sleep after hearing a loud thud and found that the right side of the bus in which she was travelling was completely open.
She boarded the Garuda Volvo from Bangalore to go her cousin’s house in Ernakulam, Kerala.
“My seat number was 3 and it was on the left side of the bus. I found that the right side of the bus was completely damaged when I suddenly woke up. It was all over in flash. I am still under a state of shock,” she told The Hindu over telephone.
Charishma said that she then heard the voices of the local residents, who had rushed to the accident spot immediately. “We could not get out through the main exit door as it got jammed owing to the impact of the accident. Those who came to help us later broke the glass panes of the windows and rescued us,” s said.
Charishma, a bank employee in Bangalore and a resident of Kannur, said she was not injured. “However, I am feeling pain in my legs and it may be due to the impact. I am now travelling to my cousin’s house in Ernakulam in a bus,” she said.
The images of the bodies lying on the road refuse to leave the memory of Sreelakshmi Menon, who was seated in the first row of the bus on the left side. “I was asleep and woke up after experiencing a huge jerk. I still do not know how I got out as the exit door was stuck. It was only after watching the news later that I realised that a trailer had rammed into our bus as I could not spot it after coming out,” she said.
An employee with a leading e-commerce company in Bangalore, Sreelakshmi was on her way to her residence near Amala Hospital in Thrissur. “I was taken in an ambulance along with a few others to Revathi Medical Centre in Tirupur, where I was administered first aid. An X-ray was also taken and doctors advised that I could leave as there were no major injuries and had suffered only a few bruises,” she said.
Sreelakshmi was lucky enough to recollect that her college-mate’s residence was at Tirupur. “Incidentally, her house was close to the accident spot and I was there till my parents came from Thrissur. We are now on our way to Thrissur,” she said.
Sources: thehindu.com, mathrubhumi.com