MYSURU: At least 20 passengers sustained injuries after a KSRTC bus overturned near Ponnachi Cross, close to Talubetta in Male Mahadeshwara Hills on Friday afternoon.
The bus from the Mysuru depot was heading to Hanur, ferrying devotees who had visited the hill shrine for the special Buddha Purnima Puja when the accident occurred. The bus was reportedly carrying over 50 passengers at the time of the accident, and the injured persons were admitted to the Hanur Taluk Hospital.
The driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a sharp curve on the narrow ghat road between Male Mahadeshwara Hill and Talubetta, causing the bus to topple. It happened at the Ponnachi bend, a stretch known for its difficult terrain, sources said. Over 20 passengers sustained injuries, some of them serious injuries.
Accident hits traffic to shrine for several hours
The injured were rushed to government hospitals in Hanur and Kollegal. Emergency response teams, including local police from MM Hills, rushed to the spot and initiated rescue operations. As the bus fell on the road, there was a major disruption of traffic heading to the hill shrine.
Hundreds of vehicles carrying devotees were stranded for several hours, forming a long traffic jam on the route. Authorities deployed a crane to remove the bus. The police have begun an investigation into the exact cause of the accident.
