Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (SP)
Beltangady, Apr 30: Over 30 passengers suffered injuries of various degrees after a hi-tech ‘Vaibhav’ luxury bus of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) tottered and toppled sideways on Tuesday April 29 at Madyala Chadavu near the welcome arch of Dharmasthala here.
The entourage, sponsored by the department of women and child welfare department and travelling in the ill-fated bus, had begun its state tour from Kolar on April 27. The bus reached Dharmasthala on April 28, and the occupants of the bus stayed there overnight.
On Tuesday, the bus, bound for Hassan and Belur, met with an accident within three minutes of leaving Dharmasthala.
The driver lost control over the vehicle when passing through Madyala Chadavu, as a result of which the bus fell by its side. All the passengers were injured in the incident, while some who got stuck under the weight of the bus, shouted for help. As it took time to rescue those stuck below, hands of three travellers were found severed, and joining them together is thought to be impossible.
As soon as the news of the accident was conveyed, staff of KSRTC Dharmasthala unit as well as temple staff rushed to the spot, and arranged for rescuing the stuck passengers. The temple JCB was summoned for lifting the bus and releasing the stuck passengers. All the injured were admitted into SDM Hospital in Ujire through ambulances brought from various hospitals around the area. A few were later shifted to a hospital in Mangalore for advanced treatment. The locals also lent a helping hand to police in handling the situation as fast as possible.
Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari, Dr D Veerendra Heggade, visited the accident spot and offered sympathies to the injured passengers. He pledged wholehearted support from the temple to mitigate the hardships of the passengers. The officials said that those passengers who recover from injuries would be dispatched to their native places by KSRTC bus on Tuesday night. They added that KSRTC had born the treatment and food expenses of the accident victims.
Some locals said that unscientific bend at Madyala Chadavu has been causing accidents often, and urged the concerned to take remedial measures. A case against bus driver, Naveen Kumar, was registered at Beltangady police station on the basis of complaint filed by bus passengers.