Six tourists from Nepal died in an accident in Salem on Wednesday night after two omni buses collided around 11.50 pm. The tourists were on a pilgrimage and were travelling from Kanyakumari to Rajasthan by road when the accident took place.
According to the police, there were 34 tourists from Nepal in the bus and they were travelling near Naripallam when their vehicle collided with another omni bus. They had decided to retire to a rest house for the night and the driver made a sharp turn to move to the other lane of the road when the accident took place.
"He failed to see an approaching vehicle that was already on that lane and made a sharp turn. The other omni bus, which was travelling from Bengaluru to Thiruvananthapuram, hit it exactly in the middle and the bus with the tourists toppled on to its front. Five men and one woman died," Omalur Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Baskaran told TNM. "The injured were taken to the nearest hospital," he added.
The passengers on the bus heading to Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala did not sustain any injuries. The police have registered the case as an accident.
"It was unfortunate and happened because the driver suddenly turned without warning," the DSP said.
This incident was followed by another major collision on Thursday morning in Avinashi. A volvo bus of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation from Bengaluru to Ernakulam in Kerala met with an accident in Tirupur district. A container lorry rammed into it. About 17 people, including the conductor, died in the accident, while over 20 others have been injured.
(This is a developing story)