TUMAKURU: Five persons died on the spot and over twenty-seven sustained severe injuries when a private bus turned turtle at Jetti Agrahara near Koratagere on Wednesday morning.
The deceased were identified as Imran, Akram Pasha, Sadik, Shivakumar, and Srinivas, who hailed from Madhugiri, Koratagere and Tumakuru rural areas. The injured have been shifted to the government hospitals in Koratagere and also Siddaganga Hospital in Tumakuru.
The district in-charge minister J C Madhuswamy, DC Dr K Rakesh Kumar and SP Vamsi Krishna rushed to the spot to oversee the rescue operation. Both the driver and the conductor of the Vijayalakshmi bus have escaped fearing the ire of the people.
There were about 45 persons on board and most of them were working-class and traders who had been travelling to Tumakuru when the incident took place around 9.30 AM.
"We will take action against the bus owner if he had violated the norms such as permit has been out of order. On Nov.1, the regional transport authority(RTA) will meet up to verify the situation of the private bus operators in the district", Rakesh Kumar said.
The bus which left Pavagada earlier in the morning reached Koratagere town at around 9 AM when the driver later lost of the vehicle which led to the accident.
"A motorbike rider took a turn across the speeding bus in a zigzag manner following which the driver dragged the vehicle to the extreme right and while taking it back to the left side he lost the control", Priyanka, who was an eye witness being the front seater told TNIE. She with minor injuries has been recuperating at the hospital. She showed her presence of mind and escaped from the broken glass window and came out.
"Even as my two-year-old daughter sustaining injuries and got stuck inside the bus the driver and the conductor did not show concern," said Jayamma, a passenger.
Koratagere police have booked the driver Imran Baig, a native of Itaka Dibbanahalli village on charges of rash and negligent driving.