KOCHI: A 52-year-old woman was killed and 22 passengers were injured when a private transport bus collided with a lorry at Vallathol Junction, in Thrikkakara, on Wednesday morning. According to eyewitnesses, the accident was the result of the bus driver’s negligence.
The deceased has been identified as Nassera, 52, wife of Basheer, of Kuttamassery, Keezhmadu. The bus was ferrying 40 passengers. The accident took place around 7.40am when the bus named ‘Sultan’, plying between Pookattupady and Ernakulam, took a right turn from Seaport-Airport Road to enter Edappally Road near Vallathol Junction, as the lorry, coming from the Kakkanad side on Seaport-Airport Road, turned left to enter Edappally.
“The bus driver did not apply the brakes even on noticing that the lorry was at the mouth of Edappally Road. After hitting the lorry, the bus veered out of control and crashed into a shop before it stopped. The lorry rolled back and collided with another truck on Seaport-Airport Road,” said P M Younus, the local councillor with Thrikkakara municipality.
The onlookers launched an immediate rescue operation. “The deceased woman was seated in the front of the bus where the impact of the collision was most felt. We initially rushed 13 seriously injured persons to a nearby hospital. One woman succumbed to injuries at the hospital. Seven others were rushed to another hospital in Kakkanad. Two passengers are admitted to the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital. Eight persons suffered serious injuries. Their condition is stable,” Younus said.
Rahul, who was part of the rescue efforts, said most of the passengers were officegoers and schoolchildren.
“A few passengers suffered fractures. Soon after the incident, officers from Kalamassery and Thrikkakara police stations arrived and helped in moving passengers to hospitals,” he said. Thrikkakara police have registered a case against the bus driver. He was booked for rash and negligent driving endangering human life and causing the death of any person with a rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide “The bus driver is among those hospitalised. We will record his arrest soon. He suffered only minor injuries,” a police officer said.
The accident resulted in a nearly hour long traffic block on Seaport-Airport and Edappally roads. Police diverted traffic via Kalamassery and Kakkanad.
By around 10am, the vehicles involved in the accident were moved and traffic resumed. The body of the deceased will be handed over to relatives after postmortem.