Those affected by the accident are admitted to Thrissur Medical College. The police said the casualty numbers are likely to go up.
Published Oct 06, 2022 | 11:13 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 06, 2022 | 6:29 PM
The tourist bus involved in an accident in Kerala on Wednesday, 5 October. (Screengrab)
Nine people were killed in an accident that occurred near Vadakkenchery in the Palakkad district of Kerala.
A private tourist bus carrying students from Baselios Vidyanikethan School in Mulamthuruthy, Ernakulam, crashed into a state-run KSRTC bus.
Among those who died were five students, a teacher and three passengers of the KSRTC bus.
Those injured in the accident are admitted to the Thrissur Medical College. The police said the casualty numbers are likely to go up.
The incident occurred around 11.30 pm on Wednesday at the Anjumoorthy Mangalam bus stop on the Walayar-Vadakkencherry national highway.
The tourist bus was carrying students from the school to Udhagamandalam in Tamil Nadu.
As per local reports, the accident occurred as the tourist bus tried to overtake a car. According to eyewitnesses, the tourist bus was speeding.
Nine people were killed in the accident. (Supplied)
“The tourist bus driver was tired and he took the trip straight after returning from Velankanni,” a parent told Manorama News.
The KSRTC bus driver told reporters: “The tourist bus came at a high speed. Despite it hitting our vehicle, it travelled nearly 300 metres and fell into the marshy land below the road. When the bus hit ours, I panicked and at that moment I couldn’t even understand what was happening.”
Among the three passengers who died on the KSRTC bus was 24-year-old basketball player Rohit Raj.
Raj played had played for the Pathanamthitta district team and was part of the Mar Ivanios College in Thiruvananthapuram.
Among the five students who died were three girls and two boys. The presence of rain and the bus falling into a marshy land below the road made the rescue operation difficult.
Road Transport and Motor Vehicles Minister Antony Raju told reporters that a complete investigation would be conducted into the incident.
He explained: “The KSRTC bus was going from Kottarakkara to Coimbatore. There were 51 passengers on the bus and the tourist bus carrying students from Ernakulam Baselios school had 41 students and five teachers.”
He added that the primary information available to him was that when the tourist bus tried to overtake a car, due to the speeding it hit the KSRTC bus from behind.
Minister MB Rajesh, Palakkad MLA Shafi Parambil, and Palakkad District Collector Mrunmai Joshi also reached the spot and evaluated the situation.
Shafi Parambil MLA in a Facebook post wrote “…The post-mortem proceedings have begun. The bodies of six people, including five students and one teacher, will be taken together to Mar Baselius Vidyaniketan School in Mulanthuruthy and kept for public viewing. The mortal remains of the remaining three will be taken directly to their homes.”
Initiating suo motu proceeding in the wake of the incident, a Kerala High Court division bench comprising Justice Anil K Narendran and Justice PG Ajithkumar sought a report from the police and the Motor Vehicle Department on the accident.
The court also asked about the flashy lights and sound systems that were banned, but were being used in the bus.
In a June ruling this year, the court stated that high-power audio systems with multiple boosters and power amplifiers that produce loud noise could not be used in motor vehicles.
The court also impleaded the transport commissioner, who is also the road safety commissioner, as an additional respondent to a pending case regarding the repairing of roads in the state.
According to Livelaw, Justice Devan Ramachandran observed that the recurrence of accidents was due to the lack of strict enforcement of the law. “The roads in Kerala will become killing fields if this is allowed to go unseen,” stated the court.
The matter has been listed on 7 October for further consideration. The court also directed the road safety commissioner to be present in court on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident. A tweet by the PMO read “PM @narendramodi has expressed grief on the loss of lives due to an accident in Kerala’s Palakkad district. He extends condolences to the bereaved families and prays for a quick recovery of the injured. [sic]”
He also stated in another tweet that ₹2 lakh would be provided from the PMNRF to the next of kin of each of the deceased, and ₹50,000 would be provided for each of the injured.
Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 6, 2022
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan too expressed his grief on the tragic event. The official Twitter handle of the Governor tweeted him as saying: “Shocked to know of the tragic death of 9 people including 5 schoolchildren in the bus mishap on Walayar-Vadakkanchery highway. My heartfelt condolences. May God help the bereaved families to overcome the grief. [sic]”
Hon'ble Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan said:"Shocked to know of the tragic death of 9 people including 5 schoolchildren in the bus mishap on Walayar-Vadakkanchery highway. My heartfelt condolences. May God help the bereaved families to overcome the grief: PRO,KeralaRajBhavan
— Kerala Governor (@KeralaGovernor) October 6, 2022
