Pics: Inchara Udupi
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, Sep 4: More than 15 persons were injured after a bus they were travelling in toppled into a wide ditch on BC Road near Bantakal here on Thursday September 4.
The bus was plying from Pamboor-Padubelle towards Kunjarugiri when the accident took place.
It is said that while passing through BC road, the driver of the bus moved to the side to give way to a bike. The Bantakal-Pamboor-Moodubelle road has been dug up for widening as well as for laying cables since long, with only a narrow portion available for vehicles to move on. The bus, while veering to the side, rolled off the edge and fell into the ditch.
Over fifteen passengers including students were injured in the accident. Among them, three of them, identified as Vasanti, Pushpa and Valentina sustained injuries were admitted to hospital while others were discharged after administering first aid. Vasanti's condition is said to be serious.
Some of the injured students were identified as Prithvi Saldanha, Manisha D'Souza, Lorena Castelino, Jessia Noronhas, Jossil Noronha, Narasimha, and others.
Locals gathered at the spot and rescued the passengers after breaking the window panes of the bus. They expressed ire over the authorities, especially the contractor, for the undue delay in the road widening work, which they said was responsible for the accident. They also alleged that though several newspapers had reported on the issue, the contractor did not bother to take any action.
A case has been registered in Shirva police station.