IDUKKI: Three students were killed after a tourist bus carrying college students from Kanyakumari turned upside down in Mattupetty near Munnar on Wednesday.
The deceased have been identified as Venika R, Athika R and Sudhan, who were second-year BSc students at the Scott Christian College in Nagarcoil, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu.
Venika and Athika died on the spot. Sudhan, however, succumbed to injuries on the way to the Medical College Hospital in Theni.
As per the eyewitnesses, the incident happened on Wednesday at around 2.30 pm. The team had set off from Nagarcoil on Tuesday night and arrived in Munnar on Wednesday early morning.
The bus was heading to the Kundala dam area. However, while negotiating a curve, the driver lost control of the bus. It reportedly veered off the highway and turned upside down on the side of the road.
Immediate rescue operations were held under the leadership of local residents and passengers in other vehicles that came following the bus came.
The injured were immediately taken to a private hospital in Munnar. A total of 19 injured have been admitted at the Tata General Hospital in Munnar.
Critically injured four persons were shifted to the Medical College Hospitals in Theni, Kolencherry and Kottayam.
There were total of 41 passengers in the bus including 4 teachers. Although eyewitnesses say over speeding as the cause of the accident, the exact reason is yet to be determined.