TIRUPPUR: Around 37 Lord Ayyappa devotees were injured when an omni bus travelling from Bengaluru to Kerala crashed into the rear of a lorry near Perumanallur in Tiruppur district.
According to sources, a group of 70 persons from Bengaluru left for Sabarimala in two omni buses on Saturday night. 37 were travelling in one of the buses, driven by R Rajasekar of Bengaluru.
Around 6 am on Sunday, when the bus was near New Tiruppur area near Perumanallur, Rajasekar lost control and crashed into the rear of a lorry carrying goods.
Upon receiving information, Perumanallur police reached the spot and engaged in a rescue operation.
"Five people, including Rajasekar and a devotee, were seriously injured. Others suffered minor injuries. However, all were admitted to two different private hospitals in Tiruppur for treatment. An initial probe revealed that Rajasekar fell asleep at the wheel. Action will be taken against him after treatment," a police officer said.