More than 30 people were injured after a private bus overturned onto a field near Kanimangalam in Kerala’s Thrissur district, around 8.30 am on Friday, August 18. There were approximately 50 passengers in the bus, a majority of them women and students. The condition of a woman passenger is said to be critical. The injured persons have been admitted to the Elite Hospital, Jubilee Mission Medical College, and Thrissur District Hospital.
The private bus named Christ, which services the Triprayar to Thrissur route, was allegedly trying to overtake another vehicle when the accident happened. Soon after, Nedupuzha police and the fire force personnel led the rescue operations with the help of area residents.
Meanwhile, the driver told media persons that he lost control of the vehicle after the leaf springs of the vehicle broke during the incident. These springs are supposed to help maintain the tyres’ grip on the road and regulate the wheelbase lengths when it is speeding up or slowing down. Residents also pointed out that the road on which the bus was travelling has been under renovation for several months, with parts of it in an uneven state.
Revenue Minister K Rajan, who is also the MLA of the Ollur constituency under which Kanimangalam falls, said there was no need to panic. “All possible arrangements have been made to ensure immediate treatment for those injured in the accident,” he said.