PALAKKAD: A woman was killed and over 20 passengers were injured, two of them critically, after an allegedly overloaded KSRTC Priyadarshini bus veered off the road and plunged down a slope near Pothundy Dam in Nenmara on Monday morning.
The accident occurred around 9.30 am when the KSRTC Priyadarshini bus was travelling from Nelliyampathy to Nenmara. The bus reportedly rolled down the slope before getting wedged between trees, preventing it from plunging further and possibly averting a bigger tragedy.
The deceased has been identified as Jayanthi (30), an employee of an Orange Farm in Nelliyampathy. According to preliminary information, she was standing inside the bus when it reportedly lost control. As the vehicle plunged down the embankment, the door is believed to have opened, throwing her out. She died on the spot.
Fire and Rescue Services personnel, police officials and local residents launched rescue operations immediately. The injured passengers were shifted to hospitals in Nenmara, while two passengers are reported to be in critical condition.
Preliminary reports suggest that the bus suffered brake failure while descending the ghat road. However, serious questions have been raised over the alleged overcrowding, as 72 passengers were reportedly travelling in the bus despite the vehicle being permitted to carry a maximum of 64 passengers.
The bus operates on the narrow and steep hill route to Nelliyampathy, where overloading has long been flagged as a major safety concern.
The accident has triggered allegations that repeated warnings about overcrowding on the hill service were ignored. Whether overloading contributed to the driver’s inability to control the vehicle will form part of the official investigation.
Police have registered a case and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.