TUMAKURU: Five people died on the spot and about 27 others sustained severe injuries when a private bus overturned at Jetti Agrahara near Koratagere on Wednesday morning.
Nineteen of the injured have been admitted to the district general hospital here while the rest were treated at the government hospital in Koratagere. The deceased are Imran (20), Akram Pasha (27), Sadiq (16), Shivakumar (27) and Srinivas (43), who hailed from Madhugiri, Koratagere and Tumakuru rural areas. Both the driver and the conductor of the bus escaped, fearing the ire of the people.
There were about 45 people on the bus and most of them were workers and traders travelling to Tumakuru when the incident occurred around 9.30 am.
Among the injured was district BSP general secretary Rangadhamaiah who is also a guest teacher at a
college here.
District in-charge minister J C Madhuswamy, Deputy Commissioner Dr K Rakesh Kumar and Superintendent of Police Vamsi Krishna oversaw the rescue efforts.
“We will take action against the bus owner if any norms have been violated. The Regional Transport Authority (RTA) will meet on November 1 to take stock of issues related to private bus operators in the district”, Rakesh Kumar said.
Rescuers could retrieve the bodies of the dead only after the bus was lifted using a crane. Locales had crowded the accident site, causing traffic snarl sfor about one hour.
“A vehicle cut the path of the the speeding bus following which the driver swerved to the right to avoid collision, but lost control”, Priyanka, who was seated in the front rows, told TNIE. She sustained minor injuries and is being treated at a hospital. She got out of the bus from the broken windshield.
“My two-year-old daughter sustained injuries and got stuck inside, but the bus the driver and the conductor did not show any concern,” said Jayamma, another passenger.
Koratagere police have booked the driver Imran Baig, a native of Itaka Dibbanahalli village, on charges of rash and negligent driving.
“The state highway, which was recently developed as four-lane road under the KSHIP project, sees vehicles speeding. There should be some regulation on the speed of vehicles”, remarked former Deputy CM Dr G Parameshwara who visited the spot.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said he will speak to the chief minister regarding grant of compensation to families of the dead and those injured.