THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Twenty-two passengers, including women and children, were injured after a tempo van they were travelling in fell into a gorge while negotiating a hairpin curve at Ponmudi hills here on Tuesday. One of the passengers, Leela, 38, was admitted to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital following a broken shoulder while others were referred to the government hospital at Parassala after administering first aid at Vithura Government hospital.
All of them are natives of Amaravila and Mariyapuram, near Parassala. The Ponmudi police have registered a case. According to the police, the accident took place around 12.30 pm while the van ferrying 22 passengers from Amaravila and Mariyapuram was returning after a visit to the hill station. The road was slippery following heavy rain the previous night. When the van reached the fourth hairpin curve, it lost control and eventually fell into the gorge.
However, a major disaster was averted after the van got stuck on a tree and overturned. Passengers came out of the vehicle after breaking the window panes. A KSRTC bus which was immediately behind the van took the injured passengers to the hospital at Vithura.
The police and fire force were informed by the passengers. Two units of fire and rescue teams helped in shifting the passengers into the bus. They also shifted the damaged van from the spot.
Meanwhile, there were reports that the van was overloaded and this made it difficult for the driver to negotiate the curve.