UDUPI: Three persons were killed and several others injured after a tourist bus rammed into a stationary petroleum tanker and a lorry on NH-66 near Maravanthe–Trasi on Wednesday afternoon.
Police identified the deceased as Raghu alias Umesh (34), Ranganath, and Hemanth. They had suffered grievous head injuries and later succumbed at hospital.
The bus was carrying students of final-year B.Com at University Srimad Rambhapuri College of Arts & Commerce, Bhadravathi in Shivamoga district along with teachers, staff, and crew members. They had left on April 26 for a tour covering Dandeli and Honnavar, and was returning when the accident occurred near Maravanthe beach.
The accident occurred around 1.30 pm, when the bus travelling from Byndoor towards Kundapur, was allegedly driven at high speed and in a rash manner. Police said the driver lost control of the vehicle, veered to the extreme left, and first hit a stationary petroleum tanker parked on the roadside. The bus then crashed into the rear of a lorry parked on the opposite side.
The impact of the accident left the front portion of the bus completely mangled, trapping several passengers inside. Locals rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals.
Gangolli police have registered a case of causing death by rash or negligent acts not amounting to culpable homicide, rash and negligent driving and reckless or negligent act endangering human life against driver Manjunath and are investigating.
Senior police officials, including Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar, Kundapur DySP H.D. Kulkarni, and other officers, visited the accident spot.
