Bengaluru: BMTC bus topples on flyover, leaves 13 injured

The incident occurred when the bus was getting on to the grade separator in Rajajinagar First Block, while on its way from Mahalakshmi Layout to Vijayanagar on morning.
The toppled bus occupied one ramp that leads up to the grade separator.
The toppled bus occupied one ramp that leads up to the grade separator.

BENGALURU:  A BMTC bus toppled on its left side in Rajajinagar on Wednesday morning, leaving 13 of 30 passengers injured, with one elderly woman being admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital in the area.Rash and negligent driving by the BMTC driver, Ninje Gowda, has been blamed. 

The incident occurred when the bus (KA-01-FA-2301, route number 180A, from depot number 31) was getting on to the grade separator in Rajajinagar First Block, while on its way from Mahalakshmi Layout to Vijayanagar, at about 10.45am. The bus plies from Kaval Byrasandra to KHB Colony in Vijayanagar. 
Gowda reportedly lost control of the bus, and the front left wheel rode up the divider, causing the bus to fall to its left when he tried to swerve the vehicle back on to the road.

A 72-year-old woman, Mohana VN, a resident of Adarsha Nagar in RT Nagar, sustained injuries and doctors kept her in the ICU under observation, due to her age factor. However, she is stated to be out of danger. Twelve passengers injured in the mishap were wwtaken to Fortis Hospital.

One of them, Mohana, was shifted to the ICU for further treatment, while another requires a surgery. Five patients were shifted to the ward and the remaining patients were discharged after treatment. One passenger was treated as an outpatient. 

There were around 30 passengers in the bus. Passersby and locals rushed to help the passengers stuck in the bus. They broke the front windscreen to help the passengers out. The 13 injured included driver Ninje Gowda and bus conductor Vijay Kumar.Malleswaram traffic police rushed to the spot and alerted fire and emergency officials and law and order police.

An investigating officer blamed the rash manner in which Gowda was driving the vehicle. “We have taken up a case against him. But as he too is injured and admitted to hospital, we are waiting for him to recover before we arrest him and investigate further,” he said.

The accident threw traffic out of gear in Rajajinagar, especially on West of Chord Road, as the bus occupied one ramp leading up to the grade separator. Additional commissioner of police (traffic) P Harishekaran, deputy commissioner of police (Traffic-West) Soumyalatha K visited the spot and made arrangements to move the vehicle, and also visited the injured passengers in hospital.

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