Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (MS)

Beltangady, May 14: A mini-bus, whose driver lost control, veered onto a hill and collided with an electricity pole before halting at Kaup Chadavu near Chibidre, within the Charmadi limits on the Mangaluru-Chikkamagaluru NH, on Sunday night.

The collision with the private electricity pole narrowly averted a major tragedy. The bus was traveling from Charmadi to Mangaluru. Venkataswamappa, originally from Bengaluru, sustained serious injuries in the accident and has been admitted to a private hospital in Mangaluru.

Other passengers injured in the mishap include Keerthana, Tanishka, Yashwant, Roopa, Hamsa, Tanushree, Vikas, Akila, Ratnamma, Balakrishna, Yellamma, Roopa, Preetham, Yallamma, Pavana, Manjula, Bindushree, and Mithun. They received first aid at a private hospital in Ujire.

The accident spot features a sharp bend. Had the electricity pole not been there, the bus might have plunged into the Mrityunjaya river. Due to rain on Sunday, the river's water level was high.

Interestingly, at the same spot last year, an auto-rickshaw fell into the Mrityunjaya river, resulting in the death of a woman and injuries to several other passengers.