Private bus falls off cliff in Karnataka, two dead, several injured

In a tragic accident, a bus carrying 40 passengers fell off a cliff at the Charmadi Ghats in Dakshina Kannada district on Tuesday.

The incident occurred at around 2 pm when the private bus took the third turn along the ghat.

The bus, which had a Kerala registration number was travelling from Moodigere in Chikkamagaluru to Mangaluru.

According to the Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police, Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, two women died on the spot.

“Eleven passengers sustained critical injuries and have been transferred to a private hospital in Mangaluru, while the remaining passengers are undergoing treatment in the Belathangady Taluk Hospital. The deceased are yet to be identified,” Borase told TNM.

All the passengers are from Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh and were visiting religious shrines in Karnataka.

Borase said that based on preliminary information from one of the injured persons, the driver lost control of the bus as the vehicle’s brakes had failed.

“Initially, residents in the area gathered around the accident spot and immediately called for an ambulance. They did not waste any time and began rescuing as many people as they could before help arrived. The casualties may have gone higher if they did not rush to the passengers’ rescue,” Borase added.

The Dharmastala Police arrived at the spot and have registered an accident case. Ten ambulances arrived on the spot to ferry the passengers to safety

More information is awaited.