SALEM: Fifteen people, including a bus driver, were injured after a private omni bus travelling from Chennai to Coimbatore collided with a goods lorry near the TVS flyover on the Coimbatore National Highway at Sangagiri in the early hours of Friday.
The bus driver was Vinoth Raj (31) of Velachery in Chennai.The bus started from Chennai at 10 pm on Thursday with around 45 passengers and was heading towards Coimbatore when the goods lorry ahead of it allegedly struck a roadside barricade near the TVS flyover and halted.
The omni bus, following the lorry, collided with its rear, injuring the driver and passengers. People in the area then rushed to the spot and helped rescue the injured from the bus. The accident damaged the front portion of the bus, and the injured passengers were taken to the Sangagiri Government Hospital.
The 14 injured passengers were from places including Gobi, Chennai and Sathyamangalam, police said.
On receiving information, Sangagiri police reached the spot and cleared damaged vehicles from the highway and traffic movement was restored.
Police have registered a case and are investigating to ascertain the circumstances that led to the collision.